Codega
by hylianprincessZ
Summary: In order to protect her sister, Zelda must dress as the mysterious thief Sheik and steal at the whims of the gang that controls her every move. There is no way out it seems, but fate hasn't left her yet. With the help of a sage, Zelda is about to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. She just has to bring her own lantern. Modern Hyrule AU Zelink!
1. Heist 1: Sheik

**Hello dear readers, and welcome to Codega! My newest Zelda universe story.**

**I really hope you enjoy since it is my first real shot at "action."**

**Also, this is rated M for content later in the story, such as blood, violence, foul language, etc. This story isn't too heavy in those areas, but it is definitely not a T rated work, it's more like on the cusp between the two. Thank you for reading responsibly.**

**Also, if you would please look at the cover art for this story. I drew it myself, and while it's not the best in the world, I'm still really proud of it! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda, or the quote by J.K. Rowling from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

Heist 1: Sheik

"Enter, stranger, but take heed  
Of what awaits the sin of greed,  
For those who take, but do not earn,  
Must pay most dearly in their turn.  
So if you seek beneath our floors  
A treasure that was never yours,  
Thief, you have been warned, beware  
Of finding more than treasure there."

* * *

Officer Alfonzo stood out in the cold spring night air. It was about 1 o'clock in the morning, and he could feel his bones ache from standing all day. He just wanted to sleep, but he couldn't. He was on duty. He rubbed his hands together, trying to keep warm. His thin linen police uniform did very little to protect him from the cold, and he wished he was on the inside of the large mansion standing before him. Other Hylian officers were stationed in there, waiting.

The mansion was large, white and pristine. It looked like not even a bomb could cause its walls to fall. There was a large balcony overlooking the grounds, and pillars held the building in place. Out in the garden, where Alfonzo stood, fountains of forest fairies stood quietly bubbling with water. If it weren't for the tension in the air, the mansion would seem very serene.

_So this is what it's like to live in luxury_, the young officer thought. _You just pay a bunch of people to keep your house clean for you, and you reap the benefits._

There was the snap of a twig to Alfonzo's left, and he jumped into a defensive position. He relaxed though when he saw who was walking toward him. It was his team member, Officer Ferrus. Ferrus had a dorky grin on his face, like he enjoyed seeing Alfonzo on edge. Ferrus had dark blue hair and brown eyes, with freckles and a plump face. But in the darkness of the night, the excitable kid appeared almost… normal. He was a good kid really, and he wasn't that much younger than Alfonzo, they were only three years apart, which made Ferrus the ripe age of 27.

Alfonzo ran a hand through his curly brown hair. He usually wore a bandanna, but his Chief had told him that for this sting, they all had to blend into the shadows. Which meant no bandanna, a fact Alfonzo really hated.

"Hey Alfonzo," said Ferrus, "how you holding up?"

"Fine, no activity here. What's up?"

"Chief said Sheik should be here any moment now, this is his time of night. Lord Sahasrahla is on edge. He doesn't want his book stolen no matter what."

Alfonzo cursed softly, "Hell, what does a thief want with a book of ancient translations anyway? Wasn't it last week that he stole some heiress' diamond necklace? Now he's stealing a history book, it makes no sense."

Ferrus' eyes lit up, if there was one thing that the officer liked talking about, it was Sheik. And trains, but that doesn't really fit into the conversation now, does it?

"There are rumors that Sheik is trying to break an ancient seal!" Ferrus squealed, sounding less like a man and more like a small school girl.

Alfonzo guffawed, "Seal? On what? Hyrule's been at peace for almost a thousand years now. The Avalon family's been in power since before the age of the Hero of Time, and they've kept the peace."

Ferrus just shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe the royal family's keeping secrets."

Wind began to blow, and the hairs on the back of Alfonzo's neck stood on end. He could feel them. Eyes watching his every move. Ferrus was still talking loudly, oblivious.

"Stop!" Alfonzo hissed, "Someone's here."

Ferrus tensed, finally feeling someone's presence. Alfonzo heard a gush of wind, which sounded almost like a chuckle, before a heavy metal object hit him in the back of the neck, and he crumbled to the cold ground, unconscious.

* * *

**BOOK OF MUDORA STOLEN!**

**Last night, at 1:30 Am, the famous translation book from a thousand years ago disappeared from Lord Sahasrahla's mansion in North Castle Town. Police are investigating, but it seems to be the work of the famous thief, Sheik. No information is known about Sheik, not even his gender (but most agree that he is, in fact, male.) Sheik has evaded capture for three years now, and it seems that the once petty thief is getting confident in his ability and stealing from larger targets such as Lord Sahasrahla, who is a competent religious leader of the Hylian church for over three decades now. **

**Last night, Sheik knocked 15 officers unconscious, three having been admitted into the critical condition sector of the Castle Town Hospital, and one officer is missing. In Lord Sahasrahla's mansion, only one window was broken on the balcony, and it seems to the police to be where Sheik entered and left the mansion, the Book of Mudora in tow. Lord Sahasrahla has holed himself in his house, and refused to comment on the situation…**

The old man flipped the newspaper out to read other articles, muttering under his breath about how incompetent the Hylian Police force is. Three years? And they still knew nothing about this thief? What was with young people these days?

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone make their way down the courtyard path. The old man stiffened when he saw who it was. A young man, age 26, with dirty blonde hair and crystal blue eyes made his way lazily towards him. Quickly, the old man got to his feet and bowed, his old bones creaking in despair at the fast movement.

He winced as he said, "Good morning your Highness."

The young man chuckled, "Good morning, but please be at ease. Being that excited this early in the morning cannot be good for your health. Relax, and please sit back down."

Nodding swiftly, the old man sat. He had only seen the Prince once before, when he had started working at Hyrule Castle as a gardener. Now, to see him up so early was a surprise. The sun had just come up! Usually the Prince didn't leave his room until noon, what was he doing up so early?

Biting his lip, the old man thought about whether it would be rude to ask about it when the Prince questioned him suddenly, "Could I see that paper?"

Shocked, all the old man could do was nod. His hands shaking, he handed the Prince the paper. Quickly, the Prince folded it to the front page and began reading the story about the thief Sheik. The old man saw the Prince smile brightly and chuckle.

"Ah, Sheik. This is getting interesting," the Prince muttered to himself, "Do I really need to step in and apprehend you now? But your stories are so fun… You should really stop hurting my men though."

With that, the Prince handed the paper back to the old man, and walked off, still muttering to himself about Sheik. The old man shrugged his head and went back to reading his paper. What was with young people these days?

* * *

"Oh Nayru, I'm soaked!" complained Zelda. She was dripping head to toe with water, her waitress uniform ruined. Malon, her red-headed friend, could only laugh at her.

"I told you yesterday Zel that it was going to rain."

Zelda shrugged, "I know, but it was so nice this morning! How could it start raining so quickly?"

Malon shrugged too, throwing her blonde friend a clean towel. Zelda thanked her and began drying herself off with it.

"Lucky for you," said Malon, "Telma's not in today, So she won't know about this."

"Oh, you're a saint Malon. You really are."

Malon laughed and walked away, leaving Zelda to her own devices. She stood in the entryway of Telma's Diner, a pool of water already forming around her. The storm clouds had gathered quickly on Zelda's walk from her house to the Diner, where she was a waitress, and before she knew it, she was soaked to the bone by the fat rain droplets. It didn't help that she also had gotten much sleep last night either. She got to bed well after three in the morning, when the police sirens finally quieted from Sheik's latest heist.

"Zel!" cried Malon, "Hurry up! People are going to start arriving soon! The extra uniform is in my locker; you can go ahead and wear it."

Zelda smiled and put the towel in her hair, turban style. She made her way through the diner, which was fashioned to look as "Old Fashioned" as possible. The entire place was an ugly pastel green with chrome plating. At the counter, which was right in front of the entryway, seven bright red bar stools were lined against it, sticking out like a sore thumb. Directly to the left of the counter were the cash register and the stand where the hostess Ilia stood to lead customers to their seats. Ilia was a nice girl, but Zelda didn't really talk to her all that much.

Zelda walked past all the booths and tables to the door in the back of the diner. The door read "Employees only," and Zelda took a hold of the handle and opened it. She was in the kitchen now, the only new looking part of the diner (which was only five years old anyway.) Chef Groose wouldn't have it any other way though. The red-head chef refused to work in a retro kitchen. It apparently clashed with his "style." His "style" included everything labeled "cool" by the media and the upkeep of his ridiculous pompadour. Zelda didn't really blame him though. Retro meant no gas stoves, appliances, and absolutely everything done by hand. Even toasting bread.

Groose was preparing food for the lunch hour as Zelda walked past the large metal counter where the waitresses picked up their orders and placed their tickets. She followed the hallway all the way to the back, where the staff lockers and emergency exit were. She opened the door into women's locker room and saw Ilia and Malon were already in there. The two weren't speaking, just fixing their hair in the mirrors. Malon and Ilia didn't really click either; even though they were both originally farm girls. When Malon had moved to the city, the 24 year old had taken to it like a fish to water. She was in her element here. Ilia… not so much. She was a farm girl through and through, and goes back to the family farm in Ordon when she can. She only stays in the city for the work, since her father is sick and can't do it himself.

Zelda entered the room and said hello to Ilia, who only smiled back at her. Zelda saw that the extra uniform was sitting on a bench, and picked it up, taking it to one of the bathroom stalls in the room. She quickly changed, glad that Malon even had an extra pair of underwear for her. There is nothing worse than wet underwear, and Zelda thanked the goddesses that she and Malon were the same cup size. When she finished changing, she towel dried her hair to the best of her ability, and pulled the long blonde locks back into a braid. That would have to do for now.

Zelda heard the familiar ring of the doorbell, and knew it was time to get to work. She, Ilia, and Malon all left the locker room at the same time, ready to take on the long day of work. Zelda didn't really mind waiting on people, and sometimes it could even be fun. Although, usually customers were rather rude, or they tipped poorly.

The day went by quickly, Zelda and Malon immersed themselves in waiting on people, getting them their drinks, food, etc. By the time it was their break at 2 o'clock, the two women were exhausted. They crashed into one of the corner tables, salads and drinks in front of them. Romio and Marcy, two other employees, were taking over for them. Telma had hired the two recently, and it had lifted a pretty big weight off of Zelda and Malon's shoulders. Marcy, a 22 year old college student, was a nice girl. Zelda admired how she had enough confidence to pull off dark purple hair; since it wasn't something you saw everyday. Romio, a 24 year old fresh out of college, wasn't so nice. Especially to people he didn't know. However, the brunette was warming up now that he had a steady relationship with another coworker, Julietta. She was one of Chef Groose's sous chefs, and was a total sweetheart. She was a blonde, like Zelda, so it was nice not to be the only person catching all of the stereotypical 'blonde' jokes.

Zelda sighed, which then broke into a yawn. She was really exhausted, last night had been tiring.

"You okay Zel?" asked Malon, "You always look so tired anymore. Is Tetra getting into trouble or something?"

Zelda shrugged, slightly uneasy, "nah, I just get to bed late that's all. Tetra's fine too, she's at school now with Gonzo and her other friends."

Malon chuckled, "Ah yes, your precious little sister. She's really spunky and independent you know? I don't understand how she tolerates your ridiculous rules."

"They're not ridiculous! They're for her own safety, and she knows it."

Malon just shook her head, and continued feasting on her salad. Zelda sighed again, agitated. She was not being over protective, she knew that. If Tetra knew even half of what was going on since Grandma had passed away… Zelda shuddered at the thought. She'd probably disown her older sister or never talk to her again. So the rules were necessary, otherwise Zelda would be completely alone.

"You're getting that look again, stop it."

Zelda broke out of her reverie and looked at her friend, "what look?"

"The depressed look. Are you sure you and Tetra are okay? I'm really worried about you two. Ever since… well, ya know… you've been kinda out of it."

"Yeah…" was all Zelda could say. Malon frowned, obviously regretting bringing up the death of her and Tetra's grandmother.

"Anyway… Did you go see that Broker yesterday?" Malon asked, quickly changing the subject.

Zelda smiled, grateful for the diversion, "yeah, and guess what?"

"What?"

"I finally got Mom's necklace back."

Malon squealed with joy, "Oh Farore! Zelda I am so happy for you! Does Tetra know?"

Zelda nodded, "yep. I told her right away."

Malon leaned over the table and gave her friend a hug. Zelda laughed. She had fought that broker tooth and nail for that necklace, the last memento from her mother. The broker had never told her why he kept it, and it wasn't until yesterday that he finally gave it back. She intended to charge him for theft, but at the moment, she was just happy she had it back in her possession.

"Can I see it?" asked Malon, "I mean, only if you're okay with it obviously."

Zelda nodded, grinning, "of course. I'll bring it in to work tomorrow."

Malon grinned, "Awesome! I'm so excited!"

Zelda smiled and was about to reply when the bell chimed and seven people walked into the diner. Zelda paled. What were they doing here?

There couldn't be a more suspicious looking group than those seven people, consisting of six men and one woman, they all wore dark clothing and had permanent scowls on their faces. Their leader, whose name was Zant, was at the front conversing with Ilia. A self-proclaimed descendent of the long extinct Twilit race, he was the scariest of them all, and hence the reason he was their leader. Zant had pasty blue skin, and he constantly wore a mask that covered his eyes, so that Zelda didn't even know what half his face looked like. He was tall and lanky, and walked with a crooked slouch, so that it looked as though his arms were twice as long as they actually were.

A chauvinist, and masochist, Zelda shuddered internally every time she saw him. Which was, sadly, quite often. The fact that he was a chauvinistic pig meant that the woman in their group, whose name was Veran if Zelda recalled correctly, had either done something extremely evil, or she wasn't even a woman. Zelda didn't really care to know which was true. The other five men were just as menacing, all rejects of society, and all with nothing to lose and everything to gain. That group was the thing of nightmares, and it was extremely weird to see Ilia greeting them with a smile and showing them to a table.

Zelda wasn't hungry anymore; she had to get out of there. They were definitely here for her, and if Zant came himself, it definitely was about a job. She didn't want to see them now, or ever for that matter. She quickly stood, surprising Malon. Zelda said nothing to her friend as she practically dashed to the kitchen. As she went for the door, it opened, and out came Romio with a tray full of food. She slammed into him, causing him to drop the tray and splatter eggs and hash browns everywhere. There was a loud crash as plates broke and the metal tray fell to the ground. All eyes were on Zelda and Romio now, and Zelda could feel the fourteen evil ones boring into her back. _Dammit._

"Oh my gosh! Are you two okay?" came a high-pitched female voice. Zelda looked up to see Julietta running over to her. There was a groan beneath her and Zelda looked down and saw she was still on top of Romio, who was glaring daggers into her face. Sheepishly she got off of him, apologized and ran into the kitchen. Usually, she'd clean up the mess, but usually those bastards didn't come to the diner either.

Groose gave Zelda a funny look as she ran down the small hallway to another door that led to the back alley, but she ignored him. She had to get out of that diner, pronto. As she stepped into the dirty alleyway, the air stank of rotten food and vomit. Covered partly by the roof of the diner, only half of the alley was wet from the rain, which formed into deep puddles as it pooled off of the roof. Out of the corner of her eye, Zelda saw a mouse scurry away. She sighed in relief, feeling truly alone. She didn't want to face Zant now; she was still recovering from their encounter from the night before. However, the goddesses just weren't on her side, because a minute later, the man of the hour appeared at the entrance of the alley.

Zelda's eyes widened in fear, and she grabbed at the door handle to go back into the diner. Too late did she realize that it locked from the inside automatically, as a way to keep out thieves.

How ironic.

She heard a low and airy chuckle, and suddenly, Zant was next to her, pushing her against a wall, his hands around her neck. Zelda gasped, obviously choking. Zant just chuckled again.

"What are you trying to do, bitch?" he asked, his voice sounding slightly insane, "Get my Children caught? Last night, a gutsy little officer followed you from that old coot's place with that stupid book."

Zelda, who was already pale from lack of oxygen to her face, blanched even more. Zant just smiled maniacally, finally letting go of her neck. Zelda collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Zant didn't give her a chance to truly catch her breath though, because he immediately began kicking her in the stomach. Zelda groaned, clutching her stomach with one hand and unsuccessfully trying to shield herself from Zant's feet with the other. Zant stopped for a moment, bending down into Zelda's face, his eyes wide and crazed, the black mask on his face casting a strange glow that turned them from a bright yellow to a dark red.

"You know what that means right?" he said, his voice rising, "I had to kill that officer! His death is on you! Ahahaha!"

Zant doubled over in maniacal laughter, and Zelda whimpered, terrified and in pain. How was she followed? She had been so careful not to show her position, using a metal staff, sleeping darts, and even martial arts so that all the officers at Lord Sahasrahla's were knocked out. Even his bodyguards!

Zant grabbed Zelda by her braid and yanked her up to his level. She groaned, her scalp burning along with her now bruised ribs, her breathing still hitched. Sloppily, Zant planted a kiss on her mouth, his snake-like tongue forcing its way in as he one-sidedly made out with her. She felt so disgusted, but resisted the temptation to bite his tongue. She had done that once before, and had paid dearly for it. She was beaten black and blue, and then was forced to lie to the police and her sister saying she had been hit by a car and left to die. Besides, if she struggled, Zant would win. This was one of his tactics to try and break her, to mess with her head, and he'd been using it for three years.

He released the kiss, and then slapped Zelda across the face, releasing her hair. She fell into a dirty puddle, and started to cry.

"Be at the meeting place tonight, I have another job for you, Sheik. If you don't show… Well, I wonder how your sister will react when I have to use her for collateral."

He disappeared then, and left Zelda to herself. The tears streamed down her face, but long ago she had learned to cry without making a sound. So many nights she had spent this way, crying in her room, nursing wounds caused by Zant and his Children. All of this, just for money. All of this, just because of her parents.

At the thought of her parents, Zelda's tears intensified. She loved them dearly, thought about them constantly, but there was one thing about them she didn't understand. How did her kind, loving parents get mixed up with Zant and his gang, Children of Darkness? Did Zelda know her parents at all? Or did she just think she did?

Pushing herself to her knees weakly, and then to her feet, Zelda touched her cheek lightly. Instantly, it began to burn and sting like fire itself and Zelda winced. Her ribs also ached, and she wondered dimly if one of them was broken. Finally catching her breathe, Zelda realized she'd have to sneak into the locker room without being noticed so that she could get her makeup bag from her locker. She had some healing salve in there. Her throat still burned from being choked snf her lips were clammy, but she'd live, for now she had to erase the fact that Zant had even spoken to her, otherwise worse punishment would come.

But how was she to do that? The only other entrance was the front door, and even if there were no customers waiting, Ilia was still there, and if not her, there was Bindle, the other host, and both were pretty vigilant She was screwed. Zelda sighed, touching her cheek lightly again. She needed that salve, badly. She was the famous thief Sheik, she could break into any house in Hyrule, if she could do that, how hard was sneaking into a lousy diner?

She was about to leave the alleyway, when the backdoor to the diner opened. Anton, Groose's other sous chef held a trash bag and threw it into a nearby dumpster. He didn't notice Zelda, who was still at the end of the alley. Quickly, without a sound, Zelda crept closer to the door. When Anton finished, he receded back into the diner, closing the door with him. Just before it shut though, Zelda grabbed the handle and held it slightly ajar. She peaked through the small crack in the doorway, and saw Anton going back to the kitchen. Taking this opportunity, Zelda opened the door and slipped in, closing it behind her without a sound. She then slipped into the locker room unnoticed.

Zelda inspected the room first, making sure there was no one there, either at their locker or in the bathroom. She glanced at the clock on the far wall, and saw she only had five minutes left in her break. Cursing silently, she moved quickly to her locker. Unlocking it, she reached in and grabbed her salve. It was made with organic fairy dust (meaning no faires were harmed), so its healing properties were extremely high. It was expensive though, and for the longest time, Zelda refused to buy it, instead she just put bandages on every injury she got, either from Zant or his Children. However, she got too many questions about the injuries, so she finally used one of her paychecks to purchase the salve.

Zelda applied the salve to her face, instantly feeling the burning fade away. She then lifted her shirt up to apply some to her ribs. The pain alleviated a little, but since it was internal, it still hurt. She'd have to wear bandages for a while, at least until she could get her hands on a heart potion, which was even more expensive than the salve. She then applied the salve to her throat too, in case Zant left any marks there as well. Putting the salve away and locking her locker, Zelda made her way to a sink. Running the water on high, she washed the salve off of her. When she looked in the mirror above the sink, her face no longer looked bedraggled and tear-stained like it had when she walked in. Instead her face glowed in health. She admired her reflection for a moment; the salve's ability to heal amazed her every time. Her cheek had puffed up when it was slapped, but now the swelling was gone, replaced with baby like skin. Zelda was pretty enough, with beach blonde hair and lavender eyes. She was also slightly tall, which left room for some imagination in the chest area.

Sighing, Zelda reached for a towel and dried her face. Once she finished, she undid her braid, letting her long blonde locks flow freely, before redoing to make it look like it did before her encounter with Zant. When she was done, she heard the door to the locker room open, and Malon stuck her head in.

"Oh, there you are Zelda. I got worried. You okay?"

Zelda nodded, putting on a fake smile, "I'm fine. Sorry I didn't help clean up the mess, I just felt like I had to puke suddenly."

A lie, obviously. Zelda didn't even flinch as she said it, like she used to do. She was getting better at lying, and telling half-truths, a fact that, quite frankly, didn't sit right with her, but she let the feeling go as Malon smiled at her.

"It's fine, I had thought as much. You had just suddenly paled and sprang up out of your chair. You looked as though you had seen a ghost. Romio's pretty mad though, and so is Julietta, although she'll probably calm down when you tell her the reason. She just didn't like the idea of you not helping in cleaning the mess up."

Malon laughed, but Zelda could only nod. An awkward air surrounded them, and Zelda didn't know what to do. She cleared her throat and wiped her hands on her black uniform. She glanced in the mirror, glad that it was hard to tell that she had a large damp spot on her back from when she fell in that puddle.

Pushing past Malon, Zelda said, "I'm going to go apologize to those lovebirds. You should probably get back to work too Malon, I'll be there in a minute."

Zelda didn't wait for Malon to respond and went directly to the kitchen. This was going to be a long rest of the day...

* * *

Zelda closed the oven door with a loud bang, after placing a large chicken inside it to roast. She stood up straight, and some of her hair fell into her face. She blew it out-of-the-way, and moved to chop up some vegetables. Tetra would be home soon with Gonzo, and Zelda wanted to have dinner ready by then. Things were less awkward between them when there was food around. She glanced at the clock which read 5:45. Had she really only gotten back from work 45 minutes ago? Felt more like hours. After she had apologized to both Romio and Julietta, Zelda had done her best to avoid the Children of Darkness' table until they left. Of course they hadn't left immediately, too suspicioius, but Zelda wished from the bottom of her heart that they would all just disappear for good. The world would be a better place. Zelda didn't dare think about the officer that died, and only hoped that when they found him, wherever they found him, that he would be honored as a hero.

Zelda threw the veggies into a pot of boiling water and covered it. Confident that nothing would blow up for at least a half hour, Zelda left the small kitchen in her one floor house and made her way to her room. Zelda didn't have a lot of money, and the money she did have went to keeping food in the house and Tetra happy. So Zelda could only afford this drab house, with two bedrooms right next to each other, one bathroom, and an incredibly tiny kitchen. However, Zelda and Tetra were content with this much, glad they at least had roof over their head, especially since this house had been left to them by their grandmother.

Zelda opened the door to her room, and walked over the carpeted floor to a small nightstand next to her bed. There was one drawer in the nightstand, and Zelda opened this, revealing a small metal box. She plopped down on her bed and opened the small box. Inside the box sat a golden necklace. It had a golden chain that held a large circular pendant. The pendant had a triangle-shaped hole in the middle, and eleven glittering diamonds circled it. This necklace was priceless, and selling it would get rid of all Zelda's problems. But she refused to do so; this was her mother's necklace. Both of her parents had died when she was twelve, so she did have a good many memories of them, but Tetra didn't. Tetra had been three when they died, and she remembered less of them everyday. It wasn't Tetra's fault really, their grandmother had pretty much raised her instead of her birth parents, and once Tetra had even called her 'Mom.'

Zelda would keep the necklace, so that Tetra would know she wasn't abandoned and that they did have something from their parents. Of course, the necklace wasn't the only thing Zelda had received from them. Somehow, for some reason, they got mixed up with the Children of Darkness. However, Zelda had been protected by her grandmother, because while she lived under her roof, Zant didn't mess with her. After she died though, it only took a year for him to show himself and tell her things about her parents she would've never imagined. Zelda still believed in them though, and if the chance ever presented itself, she would bring Zant down. She would make her parents proud.

Zelda sat up when she heard the kitchen door slam shut. Tetra was home. She was laughing, along with a deeper voiced male who was probably Gonzo, the kid who lived next door and was Tetra's best friend.

"Zelda?" Tetra called, and a few seconds later poked her head into Zelda's room. She was petite for a 15 year old, with the same beach blonde hair as Zelda. She had dark, ocean blue eyes and the same heart shaped face as Zelda. It was unmistakable that the two were sisters, and someone had even called them twins before.

"Hey, Tetra. What's up?"

Her little sister grinned, "You won't believe what Gonzo and I found."

Zelda raised her eyebrows, smiling, "what?"

"A giant frog! Farore, it was at least as big as my fist!"

Zelda laughed, "Awesome. Hey, I've got chicken cooking, ask Gonzo if he wants to stay and eat with us."

Tetra nodded and yelled to Gonzo, who was probably in the kitchen, "Yo, Gonzo!" before she left to go join him. Zelda smiled to herself before putting her mother's necklace back in her nightstand. She got up and left her room, joining the duo in the kitchen.

Gonzo was tall, with darkly tanned skin, which came from spending hours out in the sun every day. It worried Zelda that he hardly every put sun block on, but, since he wasn't related to her, she couldn't really say much about it. He had dark curly brown hair and the same color eyes. He was a very nice boy and Zelda was glad Tetra had a dependable friend. When Zelda walked into the kitchen, she found the two laughing about something again, and their laughter was intoxicating. Zelda found herself relaxing, and forgetting about the horrid day she had.

Once the laughter finally died down a bit, Zelda asked, "So, how was school you two?"

Zelda turned around to open the oven door to check on the chicken, and there was a pregnant pause before Tetra finally said,

"It was good. Boring, but good."

Zelda smiled, "That's good. Ah, the chicken needs a few more minutes, why don't the two of you wash up and I'll set the table? Then we can eat."

"Sounds good, sis."

As they walked to the bathroom down the hall, Zelda wiped down the kitchen table. She set plates, forks and knives down, and as she did this monotonous work, she remembered what Zant had told her earlier. absent-mindedly, she placed a hand on her ribs. She winced. They still hurt; she had forgotten to bandage them when she had gotten home. She'd have to do it before she left to meet the Children.

"Yo, sis. You okay?"

Zelda looked up and saw Tetra leaning against the door frame that led into the kitchen.

Automatically, Zelda said, "Yeah, just took a little spill today. I ran into Romio on the way into the kitchen, sent hash browns flying everywhere. You know, just another day at the office."

For added effect, Zelda added a goofy smile at the end, and it seemed to do the trick. Tetra visibly relaxed, also smiling back at her older sister. Tetra hated it when Zelda got hurt, so Zelda always made it a point to downplay her injuries in front of her.

"Romio's that jerk brunette, right?"

Zelda chuckled, "Yeah, its funny how he's dating sweet little Julietta. Although, she wasn't not too happy with me either for body tackling her boyfriend to the ground."

The two sisters chuckled, and a calm air settled over them both. In a comfortable silence, Zelda finished setting the table while Tetra got the chicken out of the oven and plated the vegetables. Once Gonzo returned, the trio sat down to eat. It was as Tetra was dishing out the chicken, that Zelda decided she needed to bring it up.

"Gonzo, is it okay if Tetra spends the night at your place tonight?"

Tetra glanced at Zelda, but said nothing. Gonzo just nodded, "Yeah, its fine. If you don't mind me asking, though… why?"

Zelda smiled, "I have an errand to run as soon as dinner is over. It shouldn't take me too long, but I'll probably get home around ten. That's why; I would like Tetra to spend the night at your place. It's safer this way, in my opinion."

"Safer from what?" asked Tetra, after sitting down with her own plate of chicken.

"This neighborhood isn't the greatest, you know that. I just don't want you to be home alone for so long, that's all."

Tetra shrugged, "Okay, fine. Then Gonzo and I'll walk straight to school tomorrow morning."

Zelda took her sister's hand, "thanks."

Tetra didn't look her in the eye, but at Gonzo, "Yeah…"

The three then ate their dinner in silence. When they finished, Tetra cleaned up her and Gonzo's plate and the two headed into Tetra's bedroom to pack. Zelda let out a sigh once they were gone. On the outside, she knew she looked calm, complacent, but on the inside there was a whirlwind of emotion. Just because she perfected a poker face didn't mean she was a robot. On the contrary, it seemed that Zelda felt everything everyone else felt as well, probably as a way to make up for her own inability to portray emotion.

Zelda stood and stretched, then took her plate to the sink. She'd do the dishes tomorrow morning, since Tetra wasn't going to be there for breakfast. Zelda left the kitchen and made her way to Tetra's room, where the door was closed. Tetra and Gonzo were talking about something, but Zelda couldn't really make it out through the door. Plus, eavesdropping wasn't her thing. Her sister was a good girl too, there really was no need to feel suspicious, so did why she? Before Zelda could think twice, she lightly tapped on the door and opened it. The talking stopped.

Gonzo was sitting on Tetra's bed, while Tetra was in the closet, probably grabbing some clothes.

"Hey, Zelda," said Gonzo. Tetra, who was bent over something in the closet, stood up and turned to face her sister.

"Ah, sorry I forgot to ask. Need any help with the dinner dishes?"

Zelda smiled, "Nah, its fine. I'll wash them when I get back. You two have fun, okay? I'm headed out."

Tetra nodded and grinned mischievously at Gonzo as Zelda left Tetra's room for her own. She closed the door softly behind her and made her way to her bed. Underneath, she found a gray duffel bag. She knew that inside it would be everything she needed to dress as Sheik. A tight blue bodysuit that made her look slightly masculine in all the right areas, a torn white shirt with the mark of the Sheikah, a large dark blue eye with a single teardrop and a red iris. The Sheikah were a race that long ago perfected the art of espionage and stealth, so it made sense to Zelda to tap into their race for inspiration, since everyone in the vast land of Hyrule knew of them. Apparently, long ago, in the age of the Hero of Time, one of them had been the Princess of Destiny's bodyguard. It made Zelda feel slightly righteous, in an strange sort of way. Also in the duffel bag was a large white cowl that Zelda wrapped around her head and neck to shield her identity, she couldn't be too careful in that retrospect, and large blue gloves to cover her hands.

She placed the duffel bag on her bed and made her way to her vanity mirror. She quickly pulled her hair back into a long braid, inserting hair extensions where needed. Her hair was already long, but part of Sheik's image was being androgynous, so the longer the hair, the better. She then placed red eye contacts in, in case her cowl ever slipped and someone saw her face. It was all an act, an act she refused to be caught in before the Children of Darkness were.

"Zel! Gonzo and I are leaving now, see you later!" called Tetra.

"Alright, bye!" Zelda replied before slipping to her door and silently locking it. Tetra had tried before to walk in on Zelda changing into Sheik, and Zelda knew now to lock her door when she changed, so as not to be too suspicious. She already knew her sister suspected something was up, who leaves the house at 8 o'clock and then returns at all hours of the night? Someone who was up to no good, that's who. Zelda wasn't sure how much Tetra knew though, for all she knew Tetra thought she was a prostitute. Which would be better than a thief.

Zelda smiled sardonically to herself, a prostitute better than a thief? What kind of life was she living? Shaking her head, she quickly bandaged her ribs and changed into the bodysuit and cowl. As quiet as a mouse, she opened one of her windows and hopped out. Closing it without a sound, Zelda brought the cowl over her eyes. She was Sheik now. A different person, one with no emotions.

Grabbing hold of a drainpipe, Sheik quickly scaled the side of Zelda's house, until he was on the roof. Located on the far side of the roof, Sheik knew he was out of sight of the whole neighborhood, and with the speed he could travel; it was dubious that anyone would see him until he got to his destination. Leaping with the ease of a wild cat, and the same silence as one, Sheik leapt roof to roof until he was in a part of Castle Town that anyone who valued their life wouldn't dare to travel; the slums. Filled with dilapidated shanties and cardboard houses, it was the smudge mark of the fair Castle Town. The royal family had tried many times to clear this area out and make these people's lives better, but they were too far gone. At least every person had done some illegal activity, be it drugs or theft, and more than half of them had killed someone before. The prisons weren't large enough for everyone, and Hyrule didn't have capital punishment, so they let them be. The slums were prison enough.

In the back, there was a rundown casino, and that was where Sheik was headed. He dropped down from the roof of some shifty hotel down into an alley. The night was young, the shadows were long. It was easy for Sheik to blend in, to disappear. In a few minutes, he was at the entrance to the rundown casino, the peeling paint and tacky neon signs a testament to its age. There was a large door that led into the casino, but Sheik knew that around back, Zant had built his stronghold.

Walking back through a small secluded alleyway Sheik reached a door only noticeable by a small incandescent light bulb above it. Since it was turned on, Sheik knew Zant was expecting him. Lifting a small keypad off to the side of the door, Sheik typed in the passcode to let them know he was there: 66-76-87. A few moments later, the door buzzed and Sheik was emitted into the belly of the beast. He walked down a narrow hallway before he reached another door. This one was newer, it was made of stainless steel and bullet proof. It was the final barricade against any cop activity, should there ever be any. There was a small slit towards the top of the door, and as Sheik approached it, it moved to reveal two beady eyes. Sheik only stared back, knowing his cowl revealed nothing about his face.

A cruel laugh erupted from eyes' owner, "Ah… Look who's come crawling back to Father Zant? Sheik… the world's most famous thief."

No response, Sheik made it a point not to feed the animals.

"Trying to be cool, hmmm? Well whatever you little freak. Father Zant's not here, he has more… important things to do. Like a little birdy that came by here earlier, and Father Zant hasn't had his dinner yet."

Sheik winced inwardly at the crude information, but again, said nothing. The one speaking was someone known as Cole, a new addition to the Children of Darkness. He was interesting in a messed up sort of way, and was a rather crazy devil, but when placed next to Zant, he looked like a saint. Then again, almost everyone does. There was a rumor on the street that his favorite torture device was using starved rats… and Sheik hated rats. Cole had red hair, beady eyes, and was rather short, kind of like a leprechaun. He was probably standing on a stool in order to reach the slit in the door, a notion Sheik found rather amusing. But of course, he didn't show it on the outside.

"Anyway… Father Zant did tell me to leave you with this tasty tidbit. Since he knew you'd show up, you always do."

Sheik could imagine a toothy grin coming from the leprechaun, and how his way too sharp teeth probably looked like a lion's maw. It took every ounce of courage and strength Sheik had not to shudder.

"He said that our…informant has picked up on some very interesting news."

For the first time, Sheik spoke, using a gruff manly voice that took three years to perfect, "Out with it Cole."

A maniacal laugh, and then, "Ohhhh, testy! Let's just say that a certain Hylian Prince has taken an interest in you Sheik. You should be honored! That means you're on Hyrule's Most Wanted List! Ahahaha, I wonder if it's because they found that officers body? Oh what was his name… Ferrus? Ah whatever, I hoped he liked swimming with the Zoras, I mean Lake Hylia is such a nice drop off, don't you agree?"

Sheik felt sick, Zelda's emotions were overflowing into his own, but he bowed anyway.

"Thank you for the info," he said, "I will take it into account. Will that be all?"

Cole laughed shrilly, obviously pleased, "Yes… for now. Father Zant has decided to be courteous and has given you a week off. He knows that you will need time to prepare in case the Prince decides to show up at your next crime scene. We don't want you to be the stupid idiot that you are and get caught, and then spill your guts to the police, now do we? Now off with you, you disgust me."

Sheik stood stiffly and then made his way out of the narrow hallway. Only for jobs is he ever allowed passed that door Cole now stood behind, and the fact he didn't have to see the horrors behind it eased his mind. No nightmares tonight at least.

* * *

**So, what did you think? It was pretty long, I know! I tried to make these chapters longer, because in my other story they were too short. Also, I think it's important to note that there are no guns in Hyrule. Although it makes sense since there are never any guns in the LoZ universe, but I digress. ****Also, I promise to do weekly updates all throughout the summer. So same time next week? I'm looking forward to it! Oh, and don't forget to tell me what your thoughts on Codega are, reviews make me really happy!**


	2. Heist 2: Vaati

**Hello! I know I promised weekly updates,****but when I made that promise**

** I failed to remember that the first chapter took me two weeks to write, so sorry!**

**Anyway, please enjoy!**

* * *

Heist 2: Vaati

The next morning, Zelda woke up refreshed. Normally, that never happened, but Zelda wasn't one to complain about a good night's sleep. Hell, she welcomed them with open arms. She sat up in her bed, and she looked out the window to her left. It was raining again, but at least this time she wouldn't get soaked. Looking down at the clock, Zelda saw she had about three hours to get ready for work, since her shift started at ten that day.

Stretching, Zelda yawned before finally getting out of bed. She opened her nightstand and looked at her mother's necklace. In the light of her lamp on the nightstand, the necklace glowed with a quiet grace, and Zelda couldn't help but smile to herself. She placed the necklace on her dresser, she was to wear to work after all, so there was no point in putting it back until later.

As Zelda hopped in the shower, her thoughts stayed on her parents: Anastasia and Rauru Harkinian. Her father had been a scholar, even looked like one with the short grey beard and tiny glasses. Fondly, Zelda remembered him always joking about them being spectacles, not glasses. Not that it made much of a difference. He taught history at the local university in his village. Her mother was a midwife, delivering babies all over Hyrule, not just in Castle Town. There were weeks where her mother didn't come home, because she was off in Kakariko Village to the east of Castle Town or the kingdom of the Great Sea in the South. Anastasia had even told her how she had at one time delivered a baby in the Gerudo Valley, a harsh and unforgiving village right next to a desert wasteland.

Zelda's parents had met in Rauru's hometown, a little village called Papuchia. It was a coastal town, and Zelda liked to think that her parents had met while at the beach. There was something clean and beautiful about meeting like that, something that appealed to Zelda's dwindling romantic imagination. Like no amount of rust or tarnish could make the image less… sparkly.

Zelda got out of the shower, toweled dried herself and quickly got changed. The walk to work took at least an hour, since Zelda didn't have a car, and the sooner she left the better. She could take the bus, but Zelda didn't like spending the extra money when she had free transportation in her own two feet. Malon had once called her a penny pincher, but Zelda had seen how money's squandered in the rich people's homes, and she'd rather not be apart of that. It seemed to her that money could be put into better use. Then again, as a thief, most people would just think she was being selfish.

After eating, Zelda grabbed her mother's necklace and put it on. She looked at herself in the mirror and realized just how large the pendant really was. It could be seen at least a half a block away, and the way it sparkled in any kind of light made Zelda think that it wouldn't be safe just dangling on her neck, so she slipped it into her pocket. She'd keep it like that until she got to work, then she'd be okay to wear it, at least just for Malon. Grabbing an umbrella, Zelda headed out in the rain, and felt the calm of morning settle over her. Walking swiftly and with purpose, Zelda knew that this was the best way to avoid pick pockets. Castle Town was nice, but it wasn't perfect. As Zelda made her way down Main Street, she caught a glimpse of the tall and majestic spires of Hyrule Castle. The place was a piece of history, having been built since before the age of the Hero of Time, and since then it has been said it has burned at least five times. Yet it was still standing and still pristine, even a thousand years later. Even the main square, called Main Street, where the market was held every morning hadn't changed much. Plaques everywhere around Main Street told of its rich history, how Castle Town had started small, and then exploded into a booming city. It felt weird to walk down Main Street where the buildings were small and everything was made of cobblestone and then look up to see the new skyscrapers littering the landscape in the distance.

Main Street was one of the few remaining streets from the age of Hero of Time that actually withstood the destroying power of the War of Twilight. As the only area that gives direct access the Castle, thousands of people walk through it daily, so the proper upkeep of it was important to the Royal Family. It was a pretty square, the cobblestone gave off a historic feel, and the large fountain in the middle completed the look. It was called Main Street, but no cars drove along it, as a way to preserve the area. All the buildings were connected, even to the wall that separated the castle from the rest of Castle Town. To get to the castle, all one had to do was walk up a short flight of stairs, go under the large stone archway and head up another flight of stairs to the main gate.

As Zelda turned off Main Street, the rain picked up. Cars sloshed lazily by, and Zelda had to take care not get hit by their spray. As she neared the intersection ahead of her, the crossing light turned red. Zelda stopped and waited for it to change, lost in her own thoughts.

She didn't notice when the light turned green and the people behind her began to move, jostling her around. Zelda became like a pinball, bouncing around from person to person until finally she rammed into one individual in a fine tailored suit, effectively getting dirty water from her umbrella all over it.

"Oh my Din… I am so sorry sir. Truly, I am!" Zelda looked up at the man's face, and instantly she recognized it. His name was Lord Vaati, but his nickname was the "Wind Mage" from some event that happened in college. He wasn't that much taller than Zelda, and was lightly built with light purple hair, so light it looked grey in the stormy weather. His eyes were dark and menacing, a mixture between cold grey steel and turbulent seawaters. His eyes were looking right at her, boring into her own, and Zelda felt like she had turned to stone.

"This," Lord Vaati snarled, "is outrageous! This suit cost over a thousand rupees, not to mention the amount of tailoring it took to get it to look just right! You better have a proper way of paying me back for this, girl."

Zelda blanched, "I-I don't. I can't afford such an expensive item…"

Lord Vaati smirked, and under his gaze Zelda began to squirm. He was taking a little _too_ much interest in her now. He stepped forward, taking a lock of her hair. Zelda cringed and tried to take a step back, but not before Lord Vaati reached into her pocket and ripped out her mother's necklace.

"Ahhh… What do we have here?" Lord Vaati crooned, his eyes widening and taking in the necklace's golden aura.

Zelda grabbed for the necklace, "No! That is mine, give it back you thief!"

Lord Vaati slanted his eyes at Zelda, "You dare call _me_ a thief after you ruined a thousand rupee tux? I think not, girl. If you want this necklace back, just give me the money to fix the tux, and I'll be on my way."

Zelda growled at him, "You have enough money to buy 100 of those suits… Why do you care if a little water gets on one of them?"

Lord Vaati laughed, it was a loud but airy sound that seemed to Zelda to be filled with condescension, "Oh, Farore. That's a good one! You see, girl, it's not so much the suit, but the principle of it all. You destroyed something of mine, and I expect to be repaid. Now, since you obviously can't with money, and aren't worth that much either may I add, I'll just take the necklace. This will cover the cost of repairs quite nicely."

Zelda was horrified, but made another move for the necklace again. Her movements were choppy though, so when she swiped at Vaati's hand, he merely sidestepped out-of-the-way.

"Are you trying to attack _me?_ I'll have you arrested! Guards!" Lord Vaati cried. Suddenly, Zelda could no longer see the Wind Mage; instead there were two huge guards, dressed in finely tailored suits and wearing sunglasses and looking as though they were spies. They were pushing Zelda back towards the road, away from Vaati. Zelda was no match for them, and she could only wriggle and scratch at them. As she neared the curb, she heard the cars driving lazily past, with the small puddles splashing on the back of her waitress uniform. Zelda thought she was going to be pushed into the road, and was about to scream when the bodyguards disappeared, along with their master.

Dumbfounded, Zelda looked around. Where did that jackass go? How did no one see what had happened? The street was oddly deserted, and the crossing light was still green. In a trance, Zelda checked her pocket, wonderingly dully if Lord Vaati had actually been there. The necklace wasn't there, and Zelda was forced to face the facts. The thief had been stolen from by a corrupted politician.

"What do I do?" Zelda whispered to herself. Should she go to the police? Would they even help her? That was Lord Vaati, a close political ally to the _Prince_ of the Hyrule. The police probably wouldn't give her the time of day. She was street trash compared to Vaati, and Zelda knew it. Not to mention the fact that going to the police meant possibly seeing one of Zant's Children, whose name was Byrne. He was Zant's "Inside Man", the one who told Zant if there was a possibility of a police raid anywhere, and the one who buried any murder investigation that would incriminate Zant. If Zelda went there and Byrne saw her, Zant would be the first to know, and Zant didn't trust her. He would think she was spilling her guts, and punish her accordingly.

Defeated, Zelda could only walk to work. She was already late, and Telma was probably in today. The rain had stopped as Zelda crossed the last intersection before Telma's Diner, her eyes desperately holding back frustrated tears. She wouldn't cry, not over this, not over a necklace. Yet she still felt bullied, like some little awkward kid on the playground that no one wanted to play with.

Zelda walked through the Diner's front doors, hearing the bell ring over her head. Malon was behind the counter, stocking some cups in the cupboards located there. Malon turned when she heard the bell ring, and was about to welcome Zelda when she saw her face.

"Zel? Are you alright?" She asked worriedly. She was about to come around the counter, but Zelda collapsed into one of the barstools.

"It's gone Malon… I'm never going to get it back."

Malon looked at her, confused, "What? What do mean?"

Zelda buried her face in her hands, "The necklace! That bastard Vaati stole my mother's necklace!"

There was a pause as Malon inhaled sharply, "No way…"

"I can't go to the police because… he's too powerful! And he's holding me accountable for his stupid suit…"

Malon touched Zelda's shoulder, concern lacing her voice, "Zelda, start from the beginning. I don't understand what you mean."

So, Zelda told her everything. Well, everything she could tell her anyway. She of course didn't tell her the real reason she couldn't go to the police. Malon came around the counter and sat heavily next to Zelda. Malon rubbed Zelda's shoulders, and Zelda finally took her head out of her hands.

"I just don't know what to do! I refuse to let Vaati just keep my mother's necklace! He has no right…"

Malon smiled softly, "At least you're not willing just to let it go, that would be even worse. Look, I have an idea. I don't know how helpful it'll be, but just hear me out, 'kay?"

Zelda turned to face her friend, "Any idea is better than none, what is it?"

Malon grinned, "You could go see the Prince!"

Zelda snorted, "What? How's that, again?"

"The Prince! There's that law that says he has to listen to citizen's complaints, you know. If you go there and tell him about what Vaati did, he may be able to help you."

Zelda was incredulous, "So you're saying that I should transfer my debt from some low-life politician to the future leader of out country?"

Malon nodded, "it doesn't sound that great when you say it like that, but hey it's worth a shot."

Zelda sighed, "And what makes him different from the police?"

"He's the Chief of Police, he doesn't take bribes and he's not being paid to do his job. He does it for fun. Lord Vaati can't control the investigation."

"Yeah, but aren't they like best buds?"

Malon chuckled, "only on paper. They have the same political views for the most part, but rumor has it they despise each other."

"How do you know this?"

"I read the tabloids."

Zelda laughed, feeling herself ease up a bit. This was why she liked Malon, she was a quirky farm girl who never stopped making Zelda laugh.

"Now, you should get going, Zel."

Zelda looked at Malon confused, "What? But my shift starts in like, five minutes."

Malon raised her eyebrows, her green eyes suddenly ablaze with mischief, "No it doesn't, you called in sick, remember? I can handle it here with Romio and Marcy, you go and get your mom's necklace back."

Zelda smiled and gave her friend a big hug before zipping out of the diner. She had to get that necklace back, even if the Prince didn't help her. She was a thief for Nayru's sake.

* * *

In a small jewelry appraisal shop, the owner was stocking inventory. He was a strange man, with black hair and a greedy demeanor. His job was his life's work, and he lived for the treasure he saw everyday. If only he could own it all. He especially enjoyed little trinkets that came through, like a necklace he had appraised earlier.

The bell to his store rang, and that told the owner that someone had entered. Putting on a smile, he called out, "Welcome to Linebeck's! My name is Linebeck III, how may I help you?"

There was a flash of red, as a strangely clothed woman sauntered her way up to him, another man close behind her. She was dressed head to toe in various shades of red, and it was the weirdest outfit ever. She wore a red masquerade mask that hid her eyes, but if she turned her face a certain angle, Linebeck III could see that her eyes were red. The mask was intricately detailed with gold paint, and the woman's lips were painted red. She wore a dark red corset, laced with ivory stitches and more gold designs, and a red leather riding jacket. She also wore a modified, colonial skirt. It was shorter in the front, covering to about mid-thigh, and longer in the back, like a peacock tail. It had the same intricate designs as every other piece of clothing. On her hands, satin red gloves, and on her feet were knee-length vintage heeled boots that tapped pleasantly on Linebeck III's floor. Her blonde hair was pulled back with a satin red bow into a tight bun, with the bangs flopping haphazardly across her forehead, and her ears stuck out slightly, with Triforce earrings on them. She also wore a Triforce necklace around her neck.

She was beautiful.

The man behind her wore less imposing and vibrant clothing, looking more like a colonial gentleman than anything. He wore light tan breeches that went down to his knees, with brown leather strapped boots that covered the rest of his legs. On his chest he wore a bright white cravat with a red vest, with a white collared shirt underneath. He wore the same masquerade mask as the woman did, and his brown hair was tied back tightly. Linebeck III's stomach became rather queasy. These two were obviously up to no good. With as little motion as possible, Linebeck III reached under the counter where he stood and went to press the little red button that would alert the police.

"I wouldn't touch that button if I were you," said the woman, her voice silky smooth with a hint of a royal twang, "My Prince and I are here on… legitimate business. We are not here to rob you."

Despite her insistence, Linebeck III still did not feel at ease, but he didn't press the button, "W-what can I do for you today?"

The woman smiled and stepped closer to the counter, "Ah, that's better. I'm here for jewelry, but not just any jewelry, you see, I fancy a piece you appraised earlier."

Linebeck III gulped, he knew where this was going, and he had been warned about a woman in red possibly coming to see him. She must be the Queen of Red Lions, an underground information seeker/seller.

"Y-yes, well I apprise hundreds of items every day. Can you be more specific?"

This time, she grinned, her perfectly white teeth more menacing than a lion's maw, "Oh, yes of course. The item was brought to you by Lord Vaati. You told him a lie about it, remember? He left quite disappointed."

Linebeck III paled, "What do you mean? It was just an average necklace."

"But from what I overheard, Vaati was hoping for something else. What did you tell him?"

"I said it was fake… That the only thing gold was the paint and that underneath it was average metal."

The Queen of Red Lions chuckled, a soft and melodic sound, "Oh Mr. Linebeck! You are too funny. So, let me guess… It was solid gold, with real diamonds."

He could only nod dumbly. But how did she know about the diamonds? He hadn't mentioned them, but she knew about them. The Queen leaned in close to him, invading his personal space. She smelled of roses.

"Now, obviously, I already knew that. What I want to know is, what are Vaati's plans for that necklace, and how did he acquire it?"

Linebeck III took a few steps back, "I'm not at liberty to say…"

The Queen frowned, which Linebeck III was slightly disappointed by for some reason, and wagged her finger at him in a chastising manner, "Now, Now, Mr. Linebeck. Don't get all distant on me, we're friends now! But, you did tell me more by not saying anything than otherwise. Do you understand?"

Linebeck III shook his head, and the Queen smile sympathetically, "No, of course not. Since you are… "not at liberty" to tell me, you either don't know, or Lord Vaati acquired the necklace illegally. He also confided in you his disappointment that necklace was fake… You probably thought he would sell it to you or something as stupid as that. But he didn't, which means the necklace is important. Possibly a payment for something? Please, you must fill me in on what I don't know."

Linebeck III gulped, "I really can't tell you, miss. He just said he was going to keep it, is all. I thought it was a waste though… there's a piece missing from it."

The Queen smiled, sweetly this time, "Oh? A missing piece, how exciting! Pray, do tell me more."

Linebeck III smiled sheepishly, "Uh… there's not much to tell. Just that the middle of the necklace is a giant triangle… It's supposed to be a Triforce."

"And Lord Vaati knows this?" said the man next to the Queen. If Linebeck III was correct, that was the Prince, the Queen of Red Lion's number one man.

Linebeck III nodded, "He said he was going to look into it."

The Queen grinned and stood up straight, "Well, you can go ahead and hit that button now, because we are off. I smell the real owner of that necklace nearby. Maybe she can tell me more about that missing piece. Tata, Mr. Linebeck!"

The Queen turned to leave, her skirt swirling like a whirlpool. Linebeck III was sad to see her go, but when he looked down, and saw that his entire glass case of jewels was missing, suddenly that feeling disappeared. He'd been robbed. Hurriedly, he pressed the little red button.

* * *

Zelda made her way to a bus station. Getting away from the Diner fast was probably to best plan, in case Telma decided to show up and saw that she wasn't as sick as previously thought. The bus wasn't at the nearest station yet, so Zelda went three more streets down, before finally sitting down on a bench by the stop. In the distance, she heard police sirens and she instinctively hunkered down to stay out of sight and be inconspicuous.

"A little uneasy aren't we?" said a female voice to Zelda's left. She looked up and saw the most preposterously dressed woman she had ever seen. The Queen of Red Lions stood before her, the stormy weather making her vibrant reds stand out all the more. Zelda knew of the famous pirate woman, who ran around selling information and anything else she picked up while acquiring said info. She was a rather odd character in Zelda's opinion. Zelda had seen the Queen before as Sheik when she sold info to Zant, so Zelda wasn't surprised by the sight of her like most people were.

"Oh? Look, Prince, she's must've seen us before. Pity, I rather got used to that slack-jawed look."

Prince, the man behind her, chuckled, but still Zelda said nothing. Maybe the Queen was like an attention hogging child, if ignored, she'd go away. That was not the case however because the Queen plopped down next to Zelda, and crossed her legs.

"Not very talkative are we? Well, all I want is information anyway; you really don't need to speak for me to get it. It's about the necklace Vaati stole from you."

Zelda flinched, how did she know about that? Turning to the Queen, Zelda gave her an incredulous look. Was this woman for real?

"Hm, still a sour taste in your mouth? I'm sorry, but hear me out. What do you know about the necklace's missing piece?"

Zelda shook her head, "A missing piece? Never heard of it, that necklace is intact. Why? Did Vaati break it?"

The Queen smiled and stood fixing the gloves on her hands, "No, just appraised it. The jeweler said a piece was missing from the middle is all. Anyway, it seems you don't have the information I seek, so I must be off now. In case you were wondering, I have taken an interest in that necklace; I'd like to add it to my collection."

Zelda was stunned, "You're going to steal it?"

The Queen raised her eyebrows, her grin wide and slightly crazed, "Why, of course! No one can stop me, not even you, Sheik. I shall get that necklace, seeing as I am the only one who can truly appreciate its beauty and power. Although, you can rest easy knowing I'm not ready just yet. This is Lord Vaati we're talking about after all."

With that, the Queen and Prince sauntered off across the street, and a truck crossed in front of Zelda's sight. When the truck passed, the Queen was nowhere to be seen. Zelda panicked, what was she to do? Now two criminals were after her necklace, even though one already had it! The prospect of the Prince of Hyrule actually being able to help her looked very slim. The way this was going, Sheik was going to have to come out and steal it back himself. Not to mention, the Queen of Red Lions _knew_ she was Sheik. How did she recognize her? Who else did she tell? Zelda's mind felt like it was about to explode.

After what seemed like an eternity, a grey metro bus finally eased into the stop where Zelda was waiting. Hurriedly, she got on and paid fare, heading all the way to the back seats. The bus vaguely reminded her of high school, a time where sitting in the back of the bus meant popularity, or something as superficial as that. Now, it only meant that you were trying to hide, which Zelda was.

The bus drove off down the street, and Zelda stared out the side window. No one had sat next to her, for which she was grateful. After a few minutes of frenzied thoughts and incognito panic attacks, Zelda calmed down and decided to focus on the task at hand, talking to the Prince. She gazed at the spires of the castle slowly coming closer. She had only been to the castle once before, and that had been as a baby so she didn't even remember it.

There's an ancient Hylian tradition that the first-born of a family is presented to the reigning monarch. When Zelda was born, that monarch was King Gustaf. Zelda only had a hazy memory of a bearded man though, since he died when she was eight. The current ruler is Queen Isabella, the late King's wife. Next in line is her grandson, the Crown Prince of Hyrule. The Crown Prince's parents had passed away before, his mother in childbirth with his sister, and his father on a hunting expedition. Apparently, it was a huge tragedy, the two royals passed on within weeks of each other, but of course Zelda never knew them, she had only been six at the time, although she did remember everyone wearing black for a long time in her house.

The Crown Prince was an enigma to Zelda, everyone loved him, but Zelda couldn't recall the last time he made a public appearance. There were articles about him and his sister in the paper constantly, but they all used the same grainy pictures that showed absolutely no detail. No one seemed bothered by this except for Zelda. In fact, Malon had gushed about the Prince's looks on more than one occasion, and sometimes Zelda couldn't help but feel she was missing something. Not to mention that the Prince was the Police Chief of Hyrule.

The title had been given to him eight years ago, when he had turned 18, by the Queen as a way to help prepare him for the day he takes the throne. He had apparently blossomed in the field, solving one cold case after another and putting more criminals behind bars than ever before. It made Zelda really nervous to think that he may step in and try to stop Sheik, she might actually be caught.

The bus slowed to a stop next to Main Street, and Zelda knew that this was the closest she could get on public transportation, so she got off. She didn't know how she was supposed to get in the castle to see the Prince anyway… Maybe there was a line? As she got off the bus, Zelda's breathe hitched in her throat at the full sight of the castle. Taller than the other skyscrapers because it sat on a hill overlooking Hyrule, it was made entirely of stone taken from the quarry down in Lake Hylia, and the subtle hues of greys and off-whites made the palace look very rustic. The Castle wasn't just tall; it was large too, taking up 1/8 of the space of Castle Town, a city with a population of over 600,000. There were at least a dozen spires, all with little bridges spanning between them, and a few drum towers to fortify the castle. The towers had little windows called arrow loops that were used by soldiers to fire arrows upon enemies back in the day. The main building, where the family lived, was called the Hall, and held all the bedrooms, dining rooms, ballrooms, etc. There wasn't a definite wall separating the castle, it was actually made up of the houses on Main Street and the rest of the hill in the back of the castle. The whole place was imposing, and demanded respect.

In contrast to the scary demeanor the castle gave off, the royal family actually spent very little on personal fineries, besides what was expected of them. They also often went with small family businesses for practically everything as a way to give back to Hyrule, and Zelda respected them for that.

As Zelda made her way around the large fountain in (a gift from the Zoras in the age of the Hero of Time) to the gate to the castle, she saw two guards standing in front of, wearing the traditional grey military uniforms. Taking her chances, Zelda approached them. When she was within three feet of them, they called out to her.

"State your business," the one on the right said.

"Um, I'm here for an audience with the Prince…"

"Okay, lift your arms. Need to check to make sure you're not carrying weapons," said the other. Zelda did as she was told, and a minute later, she was passed the Gate House and in the first courtyard. It was large and spacious; with sprawling gardens on either side that made Zelda's breathe catch in their beauty. She thought the outside of the castle was magnificent, but the inside was even better. Rose bushes lined the brick walkway up to a large staircase, where large wooden double doors stood, intricately carved with depictions of the Golden Goddesses leaving the Triforce behind. Two guards stood in front of the doors, and a small line of two people were gathered in front of it. Zelda figured they were there for the same reason as her, so she made her way over to them. When Zelda made it to the end of the line, the two soldiers moved and opened the large doors, letting one of the people go in and another to come out.

There was a man in front of her, holding a hat and wringing his hands, but Zelda didn't pay much attention to him. She turned around and gazed at the gardens. From the raised platform where she stood, she had a better view beyond the rose bushes. To her left was a large stone fixture, with gorgeous vines snaking their way across them, leaving behind pretty pink and purple flowers. Below them, a gardener was planting a tree sapling. Surrounding the structure were hedges, all neatly trimmed, as to be expected of palace gardens. Off to the right was a hedge maze, and Zelda could just see over the top, and in the middle was a small orchard of cherry trees, their flowers beautifully blooming and dropping petals in the slight breeze caused by the passing storm. If only the weather had been nice, maybe then the garden could shine with its true light and leave Zelda breathless like it looked like it was meant to.

The large doors opened again, and the man with the hat entered, passing a relieved looking young woman. The woman smiled as she passed Zelda and said,

"Hope you get what you're looking for, the Prince does wonders, may the goddesses bless his beautiful soul."

Zelda only had time to smile and nod before the woman danced down the stairs and out of the courtyard. Zelda chuckled slightly to herself, it was unbelievable to her to think that someone could be adored that much. It was preposterous.

A few minutes later, the door finally opened and the man with the hat came out. He looked much happier, the worry lines on his middle-aged face gone. He too, smiled to Zelda on his way out, but didn't speak. The two soldiers held the door open for Zelda, and she gladly walked in. The doors closed behind her, and she found herself in a small hallway. There was a smaller wooden door at the end, where a soldier stood waiting. Walking down the carpeted area, Zelda stopped in front of the soldier, who blocked her path.

"What's your name, miss?" he asked. Zelda told him and he opened the door, gesturing for her to follow. She walked through the doorway and found herself in a large throne room. Made completely of marble, it was the size of a football field, with columns lining either side, holding up the ceiling that had to be at least 50 feet high. Large windows framed the walls, filling the room with natural light. About 30 feet away, up five marble stairs, was the throne. It was large and ornate, made completely of gold and silver. Directly behind it was a large stone statue of the goddesses, Nayru, Din, and Farore, all encircled around the Triforce. Gusts of wind were coming out of their mouths, and Zelda suspected that was a representation of them creating the world by blowing their grace on it, or something like that.

In front of it was a simpler chair and that was where the Prince himself sat, or at least Zelda thought he was the Prince, he fit the description. He had sandy blonde hair, roughly tussled to look messy but put together, and strong-looking shoulders. He was dressed in a black suit with a bright green tie, and he wore a smirk on his face. He was handsome, but that's not what made Zelda's breath catch. It was his eyes. They were so blue, like crystals, and no matter how gentle he looked at her, his gaze was piercing, like he was looking into her soul. Zelda had never seen anyone with eyes like those before, and they slightly terrified her.

"Miss Zelda Harkinian to see His Royal Highness Prince and Chief Link Avalon of Hyrule."

Zelda looked to her right and saw the soldier from before bowing as he spoke, and she felt slightly dumb, she didn't know what to do. So, she followed the soldier's lead, and bowed as well. Suddenly there was a chuckle from the Prince's direction, and Zelda lifted her head to see that he was indeed laughing, and it was a deep and throaty laugh, but it was pleasant. Still, it irked Zelda that he was laughing at her, how was she supposed to know what to do? She was just a commoner!

"What?" Zelda huffed, standing up straight and crossing her arms. Somehow, this action just made the Prince laugh harder, so hard he actually had to cover his face with his gloved hand. An attendant near the Prince glared at Zelda.

"How dare you address His Highness in such a way!" the attendant barked, and Zelda took a step back, startled by his animosity.

The Prince raised his hand, his laughter finally subsiding, "Its fine, Shad. Don't frighten the poor girl. I doubt she meant any harm, she's confused."

Zelda smiled weakly, the Prince had a nice voice she decided.

"Now, I'm sorry for laughing Miss Harkinian, it's just… I've never seen a woman bow before. I apologize if I angered you."

Zelda blushed, embarrassed. Of course she wasn't supposed to bow, but curtsy! What was she thinking? Clearing her throat, she spoke meekly,

"I-I could never be angry at you, your Highness."

The Prince smiled, "I'm glad, now, what can I do for you, Miss Harkinian?"

"Uh… you see, earlier today I was robbed."

"Oh? What was stolen?"

"A very important item… My mother's necklace," Zelda paused, gathering her courage, she had to sound sure if she wanted to convince the Prince of her story, "and I know who stole it!"

The Prince shifted in his sit, so that he was leaning forward intently, "Who?"

"Lord Vaati, the Wind Mage."

The Prince was silent. Did he not believe her?

"Well go on. Tell me what happened." He said after a period of silence. Zelda was stunned, he was willing to listen? So she told him everything, even with Malon and how it was her idea to come here, and why Zelda didn't go to the police. She stopped just before mentioning the Queen of Red Lions however, she wasn't sure if that was worth mentioning without incriminating herself.

The Prince didn't respond right away, but he looked as though what Zelda had told him didn't really surprise him.

"What does your mother's necklace look like?" Shad, the Prince's attendant, said. When Zelda described it to them, Shad looked at the Prince hurriedly, as if the information was surprising. The Prince just sat up straight and smiled brightly.

"Guards." he said. Zelda panicked, was she being thrown out?

"Are there any more civilians wishing for an audience?"

Zelda calmed, and the soldier from before spoke up, "No your Highness."

The Prince looked pleased as he said, "Alright then, close the gates. Miss Harkinian, would you like to join me for some tea? We'll discuss more of your situation then."

Not trusting her voice, Zelda simply nodded, and a servant came over to her and led her out of the throne room to a door on her left, the Prince still remaining in his seat until after she was gone.

Standing, the Prince said, "What do you think Shad? Will she be able to help me catch the Queen of Red Lions?"

Shad nodded, "I think she's holding something back, but as soon as you question her, she'll cave."

The Prince chuckled, "She's interesting… Something about her just draws me to her, like a gravitational pull or whatever."

"Your Highness you really must stop your womanizing ways, that girl is a witness, not a potential playmate."

The Prince chuckled, "and you yelled at her earlier for informality, but listen to you now. Ah, what would I do without you Shad? Let's go have tea." and the two exited through a door at the back of the throne room.

Zelda was in strange land. Here in the castle, everything seemed to sparkle. Maybe she had misjudged the royal family… Maybe they weren't as low-key as previously thought. Or maybe this was low-key? Zelda's head hurt at the thought of it.

She was in a parlor of sorts, sitting on a plush satin sofa in front of an ebony coffee table. The room was painted in a warm green, and gave off the feeling of being in a woodsy area, with deep browns on the two sofas, forest paintings decorating the walls and a crystal stag on the coffee table. If it weren't for the fact that Zelda was about to have tea with the future leader of her country, she might have been calm, but she wasn't. She sat ramrod straight on the sofa, thinking about all the imperfections she had. This morning, she had found a couple pimples on her face, and her nails were atrocious. She had been biting them on the bus out of nervousness. Her clothes were stained from the city water. She was pretty sure her hair was a tangled mess, and her face was dirty. She just couldn't be at ease!

After a few minutes of sitting on her own, lost in thought, the door to the parlor finally opened, and in came the Prince. Startled, Zelda stood, still extremely rigid. He walked over to the parlor across from her and sat. He smiled and nodded at her, and Zelda sat back down. Shad was with him still too, and he stood behind the sofa. Another servant walked in as well, carrying a tray of cups and a teapot. Quickly, she set it up on the coffee table and poured the tea. The Prince thanked her, and she curtsied before quickly leaving the room. The Prince picked up one of the cups and stirred it before taking a sip. Tentatively, Zelda picked one up too, but didn't drink right away because the Prince finally broke the oppressive silence.

"So… Have you ever heard of the Queen of Red Lions?"

The question caught Zelda off guard, so she almost spilled her tea, but she answered anyway, "Y-yes… why?"

"This is confidential, but since it involves you directly, I suppose it is okay to tell you, but I am working to catch her. As you may already know, she is a pirate that uses crazy red outfits and various drugs to distort people's thoughts to gain information and sell it on the black market. She is a dangerous opponent, because no one knows exactly what she looks like due to what I said earlier. She is very clever about hiding her identity."

Knowing the answer already, Zelda asked, "And what does she have to do with me?"

"She is after your necklace as well."

Feigning shock, Zelda realized something. The Prince was a good information source; he seemed to know everything about everyone, it probably wasn't smart to keep secrets from him. Zelda had no idea that what she had seen of the Queen might not actually be true, and that someone else might see something different. Not to mention, her ability to gather information was scary.

"In fact, just today she visited a jewelry appraiser about your mother's necklace and squeezed him dry of whatever info he had that she wanted and then left, giving him the impression that she had robbed him blind using a small aromatic hallucinogen, when in fact she hadn't. She used his shock at not actually being robbed to buy herself time to get away from the police, it was quite ingenious if I may say so myself."

Zelda forced herself to take a sip of tea before she spoke, "Really? The Jeweler had seen my mom's necklace?"

The Prince nodded and gave Zelda a knowing smile, "Yes, and after interviewing the appraiser, he said the Queen had left his shop saying something about 'the necklace's true owner.'"

Zelda blanched, but regained her composure, chuckling slightly, "I guess it really was futile to not tell you."

The Prince laughed, "So, will you tell me about the Queen?"

Zelda placed her tea-cup down, suddenly forgetting all about her imperfections and feeling very much at ease, "Of course, but I'm afraid there isn't much to tell. She wanted info about the necklace from me, and said that she was going to steal it from Lord Vaati herself."

"Yes, it seems Vaati has stolen your necklace, and now a pirate is after it as well. Do you have any idea why they want that necklace so bad? Vaati would never steal a necklace from a commoner in broad daylight like that, and he's never cared about his suits being soiled before."

Zelda furrowed her eyebrows, "Are you saying Lord Vaati went specifically after my necklace?"

The Prince nodded, "I'm afraid so. Who did you tell about the necklace?"

"My friend Malon, my sister and her best friend, and my broker."

"Your broker? Is he a shady one?"

"I never thought so, but he's the one who held my mother's necklace until two days ago."

"Shad, please go and look up this broker."

Shad bowed and left the room without a word, and Zelda was left confused.

"I didn't tell you his name though…"

There was a change in demeanor in the Prince. Instantly, he slouched on the sofa and spilled some of his tea on his green tie. His hair suddenly just looked like a sloppy mess, and his eyes didn't look so piercing, just a crystal sky blue that rang with boyish charm. The Prince wore a dopey grin as he laughed.

"Finally! Shad is gone!"

Zelda sat, perplexed. What was going on? The Prince wasn't so… Princely anymore. He looked like an average college student, one you would find on the street heading to a coffee shop or on his way to class. He was now more inviting and friendly.

"Sorry, Miss Harkinian, but I don't think you really mind. Your face is priceless though."

"Y-your so informal!" Zelda stuttered, she was not expecting this.

"Haha, sorry. I just couldn't pretend anymore, so I sent Shad away. My sister assigned him to me, and she just hates it when I don't act like a Prince. I only keep him around to please her, but we've become good friends I guess…"

He kept rambling on, and Zelda was stunned to silence. He… The Prince…was gone?

"You don't remind me of a prince anymore…" Zelda broke in. The Prince looked at her.

"Oh? Good, I'm glad. Being a prince is too cold in my opinion."

"It actually feels wrong to call you Prince…"

The Prince looked at her strangely, "Hmm? Then don't call me Prince. Link's fine, if I can call you Zelda."

"S-sure, Link."

Link smiled, "Alright, Zelda it seems we've come to an agreement. I promise I'll get your mom's necklace back. Do you have any idea when the Queen will strike? I'll need to move in on Vaati before then."

"She said she needed more info, so I suspect not for a day or two."

Link nodded and stood, stretching his arms out and giving a huge yawn, "So Zelda, I'll see you back here two days from now, okay?"

"Are you that confident you can get my mom's necklace back?"

"Of course! I have never failed when I've been on the case, and I don't plan to start now. Let me show you out."

Zelda stood as well, after placing her tea-cup on the silver tray, and followed Link out of the woodsy parlor and into the marble hallway. The inside of the palace was beautiful, but to Zelda it felt cold.

The Prince was back, Zelda could tell by the way he walked with his chin up and his back straight. This guy seemed to be all about image. So why didn't he care that Zelda didn't see him as a Prince, but more like a college boy? Even Zelda had finally seen and spoken to the Prince, she didn't feel like she understood him any better, in fact he confused her more.

The Prince led her back through the throne room to the large wooden doors. He told her that he couldn't take her to the gate; his grandmother and his sister would have a fit.

"I'll introduce you to them next time." he said. Zelda chuckled, not believing him, and walked out of the palace. A lot of time had passed since Zelda had arrived, it was probably around five o'clock, and she knew Tetra would be home soon. What should she tell her? That the necklace was stolen? But, it wouldn't be that way for long…

Zelda walked down Main Street towards the bus stop, where she saw a lot of people crowded around a small store. No one was entering the store though; they were reading something on the front. Zelda was curious about what could be so interesting, so she walked over as well. Standing on her tip toes, she caught a glimpse of the window. There was red writing on it; the letters were large, so that they stood out. The message read:

**Tomorrow night, I, the phantom thief Sheik, will steal a**

**necklace from the Wind Mage's house.**

Zelda was shocked. This was a calling card from Sheik, but it was one she hadn't placed. Someone was challenging her to steal the necklace, but whom? Zelda stared at the message. _The letters were large, so that they stood out and they were red…_Of course! It was the Queen of Red Lions! She was challenging her! If Zelda didn't take the challenge, the necklace will fall into the Queens hands, and then she'll never see it again.

All thoughts of the Prince out of her mind, Zelda hurried home, deciding suddenly to walk. She had a lot of planning to do, because tomorrow night, she was going to steal her mom's necklace back.

* * *

**Hopefully the next chapter will come out sooner, since it is looking to be much shorter than the first two.**

**If it takes too long though, please feel free to PM me to yell at me, it might drive me to write faster, haha.**

**Also, we're finally getting out of the exposition of this story! What will happen at Vaati's house? Who knows!**

** And**** I think I failed to mention that this story does have romance, oopsies.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading and if you liked (or hated) this chapter, please leave a review! They are very much appreciated!**


	3. Heist 3: Catalyst

**Hi, everyone. Ugh, I have a cold (but you don't care, i know, haha)**

**I've finally come up with the story's theme song:**

** "Bleeding Out" by Imagine Dragons**

**I think it fits, and hopefully you will too!**

**Disclaimer (since I haven't done one yet): I do not own the Legend of Zelda, the masterminds at Nintendo have that privilege.**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

Heist 3: Catalyst

Zelda was incredibly nervous. She had never stolen for herself before, and to her, this was a new low. Yet every time she thought of her mother's necklace in the hands of Vaati or the Queen of Red Lions, her blood boiled. She couldn't stand it! That necklace was hers and Tetra's, no one else was allowed to have it. No one!

Work at the Diner had gone by quickly, and Zelda had actually managed not to mess something up that day. Telma wasn't in again, it turns out she was on vacation and hadn't thought to mention it to her work staff. Zelda wasn't really fazed though; Telma did stuff like that all the time.

Dinner that night had been take out, since Zelda couldn't focus enough to cook. She wasn't the only one out of it though, Tetra barely listened to her; she was so lost in her own world.

Through the use of some local information thieves, Zelda was able to get ahold of the layout of both Vaati's huge house and lawn, and the location of where he was holding the necklace (his master bedroom.) They had cost a pretty rupee, but Zelda figured it was worth it. To protect her identity, she had put in her red contacts and bound her chest to look slightly more like Sheik, but not enough to call attention to herself. To survive in the illegal side of Hyrule, one must be street smart, which Zelda was.

Now, after such a busy day, Zelda had locked herself in her room after Tetra went over to Gonzo's. The two apparently had a school project due the next day, and she would stay the night to finish it with him. That was fine with Zelda, now she didn't have to tell Tetra that she was going out. Zelda was looking over the blueprints, trying to find the easiest way in without alerting guards or any security system Vaati was bound to have in place. She had researched a few likely candidates at the library, and was pulling them into her plan, making sure she had plenty of backups in case she did happen to trip the system.

Zelda decided the best route to go was from the street. There was a small gate where the servants entered and exited. She would go in early, and hopefully catch one of them leaving and slip in through the gate and at the same time take their key card. This way, she could get in the house without alerting anyone. As far as she could tell, there were only cameras coming up the driveway, and so if she stuck to the street, she'd be out of sight the entire time. Once in the house, she'd hide in the armoire in the foyer until Sheik's designated time. She hoped to be early enough that she'd miss the cops and the Queen of Red Lions. Then, when it was time, she'd make her way to the third floor where Vaati's master bedroom was. While the second floor had two entrances, a balcony and stairs, the third floor had only one, which was the stairs. These would no doubt be guarded heavily, so Zelda would have to play dirty and melt into the shadows and sneak up on the guards.

This meant she'd have to wear the Dark Sheik suit, one she had made that would better suit hiding in shadows during lighter hours so as not to be seen. The only difference to the suit she had made was changing the blue to black and having a camouflage spell put in place. Her suits had all kinds of spells on them: jumping, running, endurance, speed, flexibility, etc. This way it was easier to get away from the police. The spells had been done before Sheik became a famous thief, in a little potion shop just on the outskirts of Castle Town. It was a cute little thing, run by a crazy looking woman named Syrup.

Zelda glanced at her clock, it was a little after six. Time to get ready.

Within minutes, Zelda was dressed as Sheik. She hopped out her window and wrapped her cowl around her face. It was time for Sheik to come out.

Vaati's house was located in the Upper Side of Castle Town, a newer addition to the city that housed practically all the rich people who lived here. It was a gated community, with pristine lawns, a small park, and it even had its own shopping center and hospital. Since so much wealth was in one small area, extra precautions had to be taken to protect them from common criminals. Yet Sheik knew he was no common criminal, in fact his last heist at Lord Sahasrahla's mansion had landed him in the Upper Side, and so he had no problem with entering the area. The hard part would be getting out. The police would definitely make chase, and they would definitely close the gate leading out of the area. If worse comes to worse, Sheik would have to escape to the mountains situated on the outside of the area, which were thickly forested and filled to the brim with skulltulas and deku babbas. Those creatures were incredibly dangerous and could easily kill Sheik if he ever let his guard down. No amount of spells of his suit will protect him from death, so Sheik was glad he had taken his whole arsenal of weapons with him, all neatly tucked away in the folds of his costume and hidden pockets. He had figured he would need them since Link would be there.

Link was well-known in the underbelly of Hyrule as an incredible swordsman. As his primary offense and defense, Link caught a lot of criminals simply by drawing his sword. Sheik could feel in his gut that he was going to fight Link that night. Yet every time Sheik thought about Link being there, ready to catch the Queen (and now Sheik), he could feel Zelda's slight guilt on the edges of his subconscious. He understood why, Link was a nice guy, and she was technically deceiving him.

_Too late now though_, Sheik thought. He was at Vaati's house.

From the street, the top of the large home could barely been seen. A large white wall stood in the way with tan stucco on the top. In the middle was the driveway, which was blocked with a giant wrought iron gate and a small camera. Sheik was able to avoid the camera easily by using the alley network in the houses across the street. On the very end of the wall, there was a small alley. So far, there was no one on the street, but Sheik could hear someone coming from that alley. He dashed into another one, but kept his eyes out, concealed in the darkness. Turning from the alley came the familiar red that evoked a rather rude remark from Zelda's subconscious. The Queen of Red Lions was waltzing around in the last rays of the sun as it set. The oranges made the reds of her outfit stick out and create a strange glow about her, and Sheik put himself on guard as he stepped out of the alley to confront her.

She smiled when she saw him, and Sheik could imagine her red eyes lighting up with silly glee.

"So you've come, as I knew you would. You can't resist the chance to rub it in my face that you got the necklace first, huh? Vengeance is an ugly emotion; I recommend you don't get carried away."

Sheik said nothing of course, he just frowned.

She laughed, "Are you wondering why I'm here so early? And why there seems to be no one out on the streets? Well, darling, it seems the Prince has issued a curfew. No one is allowed out of their homes until tomorrow. It's because you and I are causing quite the scare among these rich pricks. Oh please excuse my mouth; I usually am such an elegant creature. But I guess we all slip every now and then."

The Queen laughed louder, but it sounded like it was slightly forced. Sheik took a step back, prepared to jump back in case someone noticed them in Vaati's house. He could hear them, the servants talking to each other as they went about their work.

The Queen gestured to the small servant alley, "There you go, there's your servant gate. It won't do you much good, though, since none of the servants are allowed to leave tonight. It seems the Prince is predicting your movements."

Sheik finally spoke, "How do you know all of this?"

She must've gotten the full meaning of that question, since she walked towards Sheik slowly, her mask catching the glare of the sun, the gold detailing slightly blinding Sheik. How did she know about Zelda, about the Prince's plans, and Sheik's plan to use the servant's gate, and the curfew? It was like she knew everything.

"What a silly question, little thief. I collect _information_, and I am _very_ good at my job. So good, and don't mind me boasting, that I can get any information I want. Earlier you went to two of my underlings, the Duke and the Squire, to get your blueprints. I had altered them slightly so the plan you came up with: go through the servant gate, hide in the armoire, was the one that made the most sense. This way, the two of us could come to an… agreement."

Sheik growled, on the insistence of Zelda, at the Queen, "What do you want?"

The Queen suddenly became the most piteous creature Sheik had ever seen. She kneeled before him, her hands clasped, and her voice wavered as she spoke, "Phantom thief, I need information. I live for it; it gives me such a rush, and is better than any drug. However, I am a cowardly creature, and I cannot throw myself into the danger that you are about to. I can sense it, there is something not right with that house. A grave energy is sleeping there, one that is terrifyingly powerful. However, I must know about it. So, since you are going in to get that necklace, why don't we help each other out? I tell you the best plan on how to get in undetected, and you tell me later about the energy in the house. What do you say?"

"How am I supposed to find out about this energy you speak of?"

The Queen smiled and stood, clasping Sheik's hands, "Oh that's easy! I do not require a lot, just enough to know where exactly it is coming from; I can take it from there. I know the general area of where it emanates, and by studying the blueprints of the house, I could tell it was coming from Vaati's master bedroom, which also happens to be where he's holding your necklace. You really have nothing to lose by researching this for me."

"…Fine. Tell me how to get in."

The Queen jumped up and down, clapping her hands. Sheik waited expectantly as she celebrated for a few moments. When she was done, she giggled once more and turned around, digging around somewhere (probably her corset, Sheik figured) for something. When she turned around, she handed Sheik a rolled slip of paper.

"This is an unused tunnel that leads directly into Vaati's Garden House. The Garden House is located right next to his real house, but in the back, and is shaded by countless trees. If there's anyone that can get in undetected using this path, it's you, Sheik. Now I'm off, and I'll be waiting for my information. See you around, thief."

She spun on her heel, dropping a deku nut on the ground. In a flash of bright light, the Queen of Red Lions disappeared. Sheik raised his hand to block his eyes from the light, and dropped it when it went away. He slipped back into the alley and looked at the wrapped paper. Opening it, he read the map. It was hand drawn, and was fairly new. It showed the mountains behind Vaati's home, with an arrow showing the path through the forest to a little cave that apparently led the Vaati's house.

Sheik wondered if Vaati knew about this. If he did, then he could easily escape Link's clutches with the necklace in tow. Link would never know. Zelda's angered flared, and Sheik finally lost his patience. He tightened his cowl and growled, warning Zelda's subconscious to back off and keep her stupid emotions in check. If she kept butting in, Sheik could lose focus and slip up. Then she'd really be in a boat-load of trouble. He felt her calm down and finally go to sleep, and he decided to move. He slipped through the shadows to the mountain's edge. If he was reading the map right, a small trail should be visible down the road from Vaati's home. That was the trail he was to take.

It took Sheik a few minutes, but he eventually found the trail. It was hidden from view by a bush that had grown so much it covered the entrance. Sheik pushed it to the side gingerly, and stepped into the forest. He prayed to the goddesses that he wouldn't run into any creatures that would want to eat him. Walking quickly, he had about a half hour before the police would show up to set up their detail on Vaati's house. Sheik wondered how that would work out. For Vaati to accept the police's help, he would have to admit that he had the necklace, which would get him arrested. Maybe he'll deny it, but let them come in any way; under the pretense that the fake warning note hadn't said _which_ necklace Sheik would be stealing? Whatever, it didn't really matter, so long as Sheik could get the necklace.

He walked along the trail, which was no more than a foot wide, the forest pressing in on him from all sides. Tree roots marred the way, and if Sheik wasn't an agile thief, he would've tripped countless times. Birds chirped in the trees, it was spring after all, and sometimes they flew across the trail in front of Sheik. Sometimes the bushes would shake, and Sheik would tense, thinking a skulltulla was jumping out. He also stayed away from all vines on the ground, sometimes veering from the path just to avoid them. Deku babba nests disguised themselves as vines, and the mother would jump out and try to eat whoever came near her and her babies.

Finally, Sheik came across the cave. It was just as the map said, and Sheik breathed a sigh. He didn't trust the Queen, as far as he knew she was just tricking him, by giving him a map that led him straight to his doom. He didn't relax fully though, the cave could still be a skulltulla nest. Standing at the mouth of the cave, Sheik listened intently for sounds of giant spiders moving about. Hearing none, he entered. The floor of the cave was dirt, with stalactites on the ceiling. Stones littered the path, and Sheik didn't see any signs of animals inhabiting the cave, so he went forth. He pulled out a small flashlight and turned it on, and made his way down the winding path of the cave. At first, it went downhill at a gentle slope, turning every now and then. But then it went from a pleasant path to physical torture. The hill turned uphill at a 90 degree angle and the stones that jutted out were sharp and jagged. Sheik literally had to bear crawl up the hill.

By the time he reached the top, thin layers of sweat had formed, dripping slowly down Sheik's face, past his cowl. He had to stop for a moment to catch his breath before he could take a look at his surroundings. The ground had flattened out, and instead of a wide cavern that Sheik had been in before, the area became almost claustrophobic, with the ceiling being mere inches away from Sheik's head, and the walls only a foot away on each side. Sheik shined his flashlight in front of him and was met with grey stone. A dead end. That must mean that the Garden House was right above Sheik.

Pointing the flashlight above him, Sheik searched for a way out of the cave. At first, he couldn't find anything that would suggest a trap door –or any kind of door for that matter- was above him. His flashlight's battery was dying, and he had only a few minutes before he was left in the complete darkness of the cave. He wouldn't be able to make it out of the cave in the dark, and it seemed to him that the cave was his best plan to escape, so he turned the flashlight off. This way, he'd be able to at least get down the large hill before it went out on him as he made his escape from Vaati's house.

Stuck in darkness, Sheik stood still to let his eyes adjust for a moment. When he looked at the ceiling again, he saw little streams of light seeping through cracks, forming a small rectangle. They were right next to the wall (as Sheik found by running into said wall) at the far end, and Sheik reached up to touch the area in between the four cracks. Wood. Standing on his tiptoes, Sheik calmed his breathing and listened for any vibrations or noise that would indicate that someone was nearby. Hearing none, Sheik pushed on the wooden rectangle. It didn't give right away, but eventually Sheik was successful in opening a way into the Garden House.

Pulling himself up into the small house, Sheik left the dank air of the cave behind, and was instantly met with the fresh, earthy scent of gardening equipment. Carefully, he replaced the small wood rectangle and crept over to a nearby window. The Garden House was small, barely the size of a bedroom, and loaded with shelves. The shelves were packed with small plants, seeds, shovels, fertilizer, etc. Everything an expert gardener would need to create the perfect garden. The window Sheik was next to was small, about the size of a piece of paper, and it was letting in the last rays of the sun, which was just about set.

Sheik gazed out into Vaati's yard, looking for guards, and cursed himself inwardly. Across the long, manicured lawn stood a police officer. He held the leash to a large German shepherd, a dog that could probably rip Sheik's throat in seconds and at the slightest inclination. Sheik was behind; the police had already stationed themselves. He wondered what the time was, and just how long he had been in the cave. Again, Sheik had to modify his plan. The minute he stepped out of the Garden House that dog would smell him. Maybe he could drug the mutt somehow? But would his sleeping darts reach in time? And without alerting the officer partnered with him? Sheik knew the last part was impossible. It's not like the cop would just _ignore_ that the dog he was with suddenly fell to the ground with a dart in its ass. He would raise an alarm for sure.

Unless… Sheik drugged them both. But he was sure someone would notice that too. His plan was to get in and get out without encountering any fighting. That way he could research that energy without being rushed. Or caught, for that matter. So what if he drew a distraction? Made the dog notice something else before noticing him? It was worth a shot.

Sheik peered out the window again, and saw that near the officer and dog was a large tree. If he threw something into that tree and freaked the dog out, could he trick the officer into thinking that the dog was barking at a squirrel? Again, it was worth a shot.

Searching his abundant hidden pockets, Sheik found something he could throw. It was a circular disk, with a secret compartment that, under the correct conditions, would open, letting out a perfume that would confuse the victim. It was the last one Sheik had (they were expensive), but it was perfect. The two wouldn't know what hit them.

Taking a deep breath to settle his nerves, Sheik mentally prepared himself. The adrenaline rush was about to start, and with it, Sheik's instincts would heighten and his thoughts shorten. The next time he would feel like a coherent human being would be hours from now, once he was sure it was safe to return to Zelda's home.

_Time to start, _he thought before he placed his hand on the door knob, readying the compact disk. He opened the door swiftly, and before the dog got a scent of him, he threw the disk as hard as he could at the tree. He paused for only a moment to hear the satisfying _thunk!_ of the disk on the tree trunk before he took off across the lawn. The dog started barking, and Sheik felt the blood rush to his ears. He didn't turn around, praying to the goddesses that it wasn't him the dog was barking at. Maybe he should have waited a moment before running to the house. Too late now.

He scaled the side of the house. Landing on the second floor balcony, he immediately sunk into the wall, under the window and away from the ledge. Show time.

The dog was still barking, and the officer in charge of him was getting annoyed.

"Stop barking! Sheik's not in that stupid tree, I've checked!"

Sheik allowed himself an airy chuckle before peering into the window. No one was in the room, but when Sheik tried the door, it was locked. He picked it quickly and entered the house. No alarms, no bells, nothing announced his presence as he walked into the billion rupee home. That was weird.

The room he entered was dark, all the lights were off, and it looked like a guest room. Ignoring the room entirely, Sheik made his way to the door. He pressed his ear to it and listened. Nothing. Where were the guards? Did Vaati turn Link away? Sheik doubted it, there had to be a trap. His head was tingling and his heart pounding a mile a minute, yet his breathing was steady and his thoughts clear. He opened the door that led to the hall, and he heard it. A single bell chime. They knew he was here.

"_All units, please be advised, Sheik has arrived."_ Came the grainy voice in a nearby police officers walkie-talkie. He was turning the corner, and Sheik quickly shut the door, hiding back in the room. He listened closely until the officer was in front of the door and took that moment to bash him with the door. He crumbled to the ground without a sound, and immediately, Sheik took his walkie-talkie. He had to get to the third floor. Peering around the corner, Sheik saw that four officers guarded the staircase leading to the third floor. It was time for Sheik to use the power of the Dark suit. He pulled his left fist in front of his face and closed his eyes; he focused all his energy into one single point on the back of his hand. Soon a small yellow glow could be seen, and he felt himself melt, his soul, once bright white, turning into a murky gray and then into pitch black. He held his arms out and saw that he could no longer see them, though he knew they were there. He really had become a shadow. Once he moved though, he knew, the spell would fade slightly.

_Not a problem,_ Sheik thought. He pressed his back up against the wall and waited with bated breath for an opening. The walkie-talkie crackled to life, and the same deep grainy voice could be heard, by Sheik's waist and amplified loudly with the four officers, causing an eerie echo to emanate from the small machines.

"_Please be advised, Sheik has entered through the second floor balcony. Officer Luke is down, repeat officer down."_

The men by the stairs tensed, murmuring a few words of encouragement to each other. Now was as good a time as any, while they were nervous and while the other officers were right behind Sheik. Sheik's legs and heart took over. One second he was 30 feet away and at the end of the hallway, the next he was behind an officer, stabbing his neck with a sleeping dart. The officer by him turned, and his eyes widened. He called out to his allies, but Sheik was on him. Dagger in hand, he met the officer's sword without hesitation. Sheik parried before pushing the officer into one of his partners. The two fell with a loud grunt. Sheik turned to the last officer.

Sheik jumped back, blending with the shadows once more. The officer cursed under his breath. Sheik pulled out his metal pole. With a swing, the officer was on the ground, unconscious. There were the other two officers, but Sheik couldn't be bothered. Already he heard the pounding of footsteps. He floated up the stairs, and he heard the cackle of the walkie-talkie.

"_Please be advised, Sheik has made it to the third floor. Four officers down, two injured. Sheik must be stopped at all costs."_

A smirk, but Sheik was not surprised. This happened all the time.

At the top, Sheik slowed slightly, listening for movements. None. Melting back into darkness, Sheik dashed into the hallway. It was forked, so he took a left. The Master Bedroom, according to the blueprints, was that way. But first, Sheik had to enter a sitting room of some kind. It was the only way into Vaati's bedroom besides the windows. Those were probably latched shut.

The hallway was completely empty, no one was in sight. That wouldn't be true for long, however, because Sheik could hear officers scrambling their way up to the third floor. Sheik hoped to be long gone before they even reached Vaati's room. Sheik came across the door into the sitting room, and without a thought, tossed the door open. The sooner he got the necklace, the better.

The sitting room was large, with a lit wood fireplace that created eerie shadows around the room on the far left. Gathered around the fireplace were three sofa sets and a large coffee table. Next to the fireplace was a bookshelf, filled to the brim with books. The door to Vaati's bedroom was directly across from Sheik, and no furniture blocked his path, almost like a trail leading to Vaati's door. The room was empty, so Sheik made his way through, feeling the final bits of this heist coming to an end.

A voice called out to Sheik when he was about midway through the sitting room.

"Going so soon? I thought we could have a cup of tea together and discuss things."

Ahead, a person came out of the long shadows that plagued the sitting room. Wearing a noble expression, one that heroes in comic books might wear, stood the Prince. Sheik cursed softly, he had forgotten about him, and now he had let his guard down. This was bad.

The Prince smirked, his body blocking the path to Vaati's bedroom. His police uniform glowed like a ghost, the black blending with shadow, but the white undershirt standing out like a beacon. His green tie could still be clearly seen, and around his waist was a scabbard. Sheik could see the hilt of his sword, this was really bad!

Grabbing the hilt, the Prince unsheathed his sword. It was long and slender, catching the light coming from the fireplace. It looked like a monster's tooth. Sheik back flipped a few meters away from the Prince, so that he could prepare himself. He took out his daggers, four to each hand, and he bent his legs, forming a fighting stance with his hands held strategically around his face. The Prince smiled goofily, all the nobleness in him gone, and out came Link. With footsteps as quiet as the night, Link came at Sheik. He lunged at him, a quick thrust towards Sheik's shoulder. Barely dodging, Sheik heard some of the cloth on his outfit rip. Sheik paused, and Link didn't miss a beat. He volte' at Sheik, and this time connected with his opposite shoulder.

Cringing, Sheik sidestepped back, and threw a dagger at Link. Link avoided it, and swung at Sheik using the inside edge of his sword. Sheik stopped it with one of his daggers and engaged in a standoff with Link. Sheik threw another dagger using the unoccupied hand, and Link had to duck to avoid it. Their blades separated for a brief second, and Sheik took the chance. He lunged, swiping at Link's chest. He connected, drawing a long line of blood. Link fell back, a gasp leaving his lips. Anger flashed in his eyes, making them a shade darker, and Link came at Sheik again. He glided towards him, the tip of his blade aimed for Sheik's side. Sheik tried to parry, but Link had tricked him. He swung the sword up at the last moment. It connected with Sheik's underarm, and he cried out. It was like fire had erupted in Sheik's arm, and pain clouded his senses. His instincts told him he wouldn't win this fight, Link was too good. He had to get out of there.

He stepped back, glancing out of the corner of his eye to the door to Vaati's bedroom. Link was breathing heavily, but Sheik had used a lot more energy than this before. That was the key, he needed to tire Link out more and then make his way to the necklace. It looked like he wouldn't be able to research that energy. Oh, well. Sheik looked at Link again. His plan couldn't fail, or Sheik would die. Or worse, get arrested.

Sheik ran at Link full speed. He raised his sword to parry his strike, but Sheik didn't engage. He leapt to the side and melted into darkness. Link hesitated, and Sheik took his chance. He threw a shuriken, and it ripped through Link's uniform. No blood was drawn, but it effectively got Link's attention.

"I see you!" Link called, and came at Sheik. Sheik barely had time to lift his dagger to block Link's attack. Link spun, pulling his sword out of contact, and swung low. Sheik blocked. Link's blade was redirected to the ground right next to Sheik. Sheik hopped on Link's shoulders and leaped off them, pushing him to the ground. Sheik landed nimbly and made a break for it while Link was down. He was at Vaati's bedroom door in a matter of seconds. Without a second thought, he yanked it open. He didn't look back, but he heard Link shout to him.

"Get back here you cowar-"the last part was cut off, since Sheik shut the door. Quickly, he found a wooden chair by a desk and he hooked it under the doorknob. He hoped to buy enough time to get the necklace and get out. He turned around, and he cursed under his breath. There was Vaati, standing in the middle of the bedroom, the necklace dangling from his hands. He had a grotesque smirk on his face as he said,

"Looking for this?"

Zelda was outraged. How dare he!

* * *

Link got up slowly. His body ached from over exertion, and he was bleeding heavily. Yet he had to keep going, Sheik was going to get away. He limped over to Vaati's bedroom; he had overturned his foot when Sheik jumped on him. Suddenly, without warning, a scream came from the door and a blinding flash of yellow light surged out of the cracks in the door frame. An incredible energy was released, one that sent Link flying back. His back slammed into the other door, and he was knocked out instantly. He didn't see that the energy had healed all of his wounds. In the next few minutes, the cops burst on the scene, horrified to see their Chief knocked out, and that both Sheik and Vaati were gone.

* * *

The soft sound of running water and a terrible chill reached Zelda's senses, cutting through the fog that had clouded them just moments earlier. She opened her eyes slowly. She saw nothing but a black ceiling. Was it night time already? How come she didn't remember returning home after the heist at Vaati's place? She looked down at her clothes, she was still dressed in the Dark suit, and the cowl was draped around her neck. She rolled on her side, and light clouded her system, making her squeeze her eyes shut and a headache to start to form. She groaned, and when she finally opened her eyes, she saw she wasn't alone. A pair of sandaled feet stood in front of her, attached to an overly cloaked individual. Her eyes traveled up, at first seeing only red and orange when she saw a white haired face. The man smiled at her, his kind hazel eyes twinkling in merriment. Zelda cried out and sat up, her head exploding in pain at the sudden movement.

The old man laughed, a deep and joyful sound, his large stomach bouncing up and down like a large bouncy ball. A tear came to his eye from laughing so hard, and he wiped it away with his finger.

"Miss Harkinian, you have nothing to be afraid of. I'm a friend, not a foe."

Despite his insistence, Zelda was still terrified, "How do you know my name? How did I get here? Where the hell am I?"

The old man chuckled again, "Maybe I should introduce myself first and tell my story. That should explain everything."

Zelda nodded her head slowly, and looked the old man over. He was pale, short, and plump, dressed in a traditional Hylian style. His cloak was a light orange, belted off with a red cloth, which then draped down his front. The same red print covered his chest, and in the middle where it all came together was the crest of the royal family. He was bald except for a tiny ponytail of silver-white hair in the back, and the large sideburns and mustache that covered his face.

"I am one of the ancient sages from the age of the Hero of Time. Miss Harkinian, please take a look around you. We are in the Chamber of Sages in the Temple of Light. The Temple of Light is situated in the very middle of the Sacred Realm and is the last stronghold against any dark forces that arise to threaten the Kingdom of Hyrule."

Zelda looked around. She sat in a large circular pedestal, where an endless stream of water flowed from beneath her and pooled off the edges of the pedestal. In the distance, she saw similar looking pedestals with streams of light illuminating them in the darkness. The pedestal where she sat was different, however because it was decorated with what looked like different seals. She sat on a large icon of the Triforce, and positioned in a circle around it were multicolored circular seals. The sage stood on a bright yellow one, and Zelda couldn't see the design that decorated it. There were 10 seals in all, many with the same shades of color. There were two, red, orange, purple, another yellow, and one blue and one green.

"What are those seals for?" She asked.

"Those are the seals that hold the King of Evil in place. The other sages hold them in place with their own power."

Well that was weird; the fairy tales that Zelda had heard had only ever said that there were seven sages, not ten.

"Why're there so many?"

His grandfatherly face sagged slightly, as if the years of continuous effort were finally catching up to him.

"The King of Evil… Ganondorf as he used to be called, was imprisoned first in the age of the Hero of Time, and again in the age of the Hero of Twilight. He wished for the ultimate power: the Triforce. Yet, each time he was defeated by a hero and the Princesses of Destiny. However he's gotten stronger through the years of imprisonment. In fact his power grows with every day, his hatred fueling the Triforce of Power and threatening escape. Because of this, more sages were commissioned to keep him in place."

"The Triforce still exists?"

"Yes, of course it does. However, no one knows where the other two pieces are located."

The absence of the other sages bothered Zelda, "Where are the others? Shouldn't they be here protecting the seals?"

He sighed, his shoulders slumping, looking like a pitiful creature. Zelda's heart constricted in sadness and pity for the old sage, his job must be hard.

"The catalyst that kept the seal in place over the centuries one day disappeared, returning to the earth. Thus, the seal began to weaken and the growth in power was too much for the rest of the sages. They were overcome and destroyed."

"So what does that mean? Will the King of Evil get out?"

He nodded his head sadly, "His power grows every day, and one of these days I will be overcome as well and be destroyed. When that day comes, the world will plunge into darkness."

"Then why did you bring me here, Mr.… uh. What was your name again?"

"My real name is Rauru. I am the Sage of Light. I brought you here because of the necklace you possess."

Zelda didn't hear what he said after he told her his name. Rauru. His name was the same as her father's… Her parents' bodies were never found. It couldn't be, could it?

Hesitantly, she said, "…Daddy?"

Rauru smiled warmly, "No. However, I knew your father. He was a good man."

Zelda looked at Rauru with wonder, he had known her father! Did he know anything about Zant and the Children of Darkness? Could he help her escape?

"Anyway," Rauru said, clearing his throat, "Zelda, may I see your necklace?"

Zelda looked down and saw that her mother's necklace was clenched tightly in her fist. She hadn't even noticed. She glanced up at Rauru, unable to hide the suspicion in her demeanor.

Rauru smiled warmly, and Zelda felt her heart soar. This man was a friend, not a foe. She stood and handed him the necklace, and he held the chain in his hand, letting the necklace dangle in the air. Zelda looked at it fondly, but gasped when she saw that it was different. In the middle, where it used to be just a giant Triangular hole, was a new piece added to the necklace. It was an up-side-down triangle that split the hole into three parts, making it a Triforce. In the middle of the piece sat a glowing yellow diamond, one that matched the color of the pedestal where Rauru stood.

"So the catalyst has returned. I knew the just always win."

"My mother's necklace," Zelda breathed, "it's changed!"

Rauru glanced at her, "Yes. I suppose when the necklace fell to earth, the middle piece broke off. But now that the two pieces are reunited, this is no longer just a necklace, but the magical piece that will hold the seal in place. Its return has given us more time, Ganondorf shall not rise!"

"More time for what?"

"To revive the sages of course!"

Zelda was confused, "So that's what you brought me here for? But you said they were destroyed!"

Rauru smiled, the glee evident in his eyes, "Yes a majority of their physical beings were, but pieces of their souls live on. They won't be able to reawaken until the catalyst breaks their bonds."

"Do you know where they are?"

Rauru pointed to the jewels on the necklace, in particular the bright yellow one that glowed.

"Us sages controlled two separate seals, so that if one ever collapsed, there would still be a second one to hold it in place until the other seal was fixed. Now obviously, this plan failed miserably. Splitting our power into two made two weak seals, easily breakable by the King of Evil. This catalyst not only held the two seals together, but was also the second seal. In other words, we sages held the seal by physically standing on one, and by placing a fragment of their soul in these diamonds."

Zelda's head was spinning, her mother's necklace actually held the souls of different sages? What?

"So," Rauru continued, "a piece of my soul is in this yellow diamond right here. These diamonds all have colors to them, but the colors won't return until the souls are reawakened. That's where you come in, Miss Harkinian."

"Me?"

"Yes, I brought you here by harnessing the power created by the necklace when it became whole again. Now that it is whole, all that's left is for someone to awaken the sages. I cannot leave the seal unattended. I've already used too much power getting you here. "

"You want me to awaken the sages? How?"

"By your specialty of course. You'll steal them back."

Zelda was taken aback. Steal the diamonds the awaken the sages? No, she wouldn't steal any more than she had to. She couldn't do it. She opened her mouth to speak, when Rauru draped the necklace around Zelda's neck and clasped her hands.

"Please Zelda, I beg of you. If the seal isn't strengthened, Ganondorf will escape, and there is no guarantee that a hero will show. This is our only shot!"

"I don't know Rauru… I hate stealing. I don't want to steal any more than what Zant makes me do."

"You'll be a hero to our world, and I can help you get rid of Zant, and Sheik, once and for all."

Zelda's eyes widened, "Really? You'd do that for me?"

Rauru nodded his head, "Of course I would. Now will you help me save the world?"

Zelda hesitated again, but agreed. She'd steal those diamonds, they belonged to her mother's necklace after all, and saving the world had a nice ring to it. Plus, she needed to get out of the Children of Darkness, even if it killed her.

"You still haven't answered all of my questions, Rauru."

"What is it child?"

"How did you know my name? And how do I awaken the sages once I steal back their diamonds?"

Rauru smiled, "I watch over the world, and I know the exploits of Sheik the master thief. Plus, like I said, I knew your father. You look just like him, you know."

Zelda grinned from ear to ear, "Really?"

"Yes, really. And as for awakening the sages? Well the necklace should take care of that on its own. Once you awaken the sages, they will add their power to yours, as it is tradition. Likewise, I will impart some of my power to you."

Rauru lifted his arms straight out, and a warm glow of light spread from his fingertips to Zelda. She began to glow yellow, and the necklace around her neck began to float, glowing as well. A minute passed, and Zelda felt her soul begin to burn as a newfound power manifested itself. The glowing stopped abruptly and exploded, shooting itself back to Rauru. Rauru looked slightly surprised, but he collected himself.

"It's been sometime since I've done this, ha..." he said chuckling.

Zelda smiled, "So what kind of power does this give me?"

Rauru pointed at her forehead, "It gives you a feeling of independence. That should help for now against Zant. And the necklace will now also help you in times of crisis, but don't count on it too much, even I don't know what it's capable of."

Zelda nodded her head slowly. Stealing back priceless jewels to save the world. No big deal, right?

"Ah, before I send you back to your world Zelda, I have one more thing to say. The first jewel you should look for is a forest green and is owned by a Mido and Fado Forrester. They're siblings."

Zelda nodded again, making a mental note. Rauru closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and chanted a mantra, which made Zelda float a foot off the ground and glow again. Her body became translucent, and her spirit gave a fluttery feeling as if she was nervous, but not quite. Just before she disappeared completely, Rauru opened his eyes and said,

"Oh, and Zelda? Good luck!"

With that, Zelda disappeared and Rauru was left alone in the Chamber of Sages. There was an ominous shaking, and Rauru sucked in his breath.

"Please hurry Zelda..."

* * *

**So finally, the exposition is done! It took three chapters, but eh, what can you do? **

**Sadly, (or not) not all of the main characters have been introduced... *evil laugh***

**Anyway, guess what? I am now a beta-reader! Wooooo! **

**And finally, just one little question for you. Answer it correctly and I'll give you a little shout-out next chapter!**

_**Who is the first sage that Zelda will awaken? (not counting Rauru)**_

**I expect a lot of people should get this, haha.**

**Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!**


	4. Heist 4: Forest Children

**Hello dear readers, and welcome to Heist 4 of Codega!**

**Just a note, this chapter has been slightly edited. If you've already read this chapter before I edited it, **

**skip to the bottom where there is a page break that leads to Link's PoV**

**thanks, and enjoy!**

* * *

Heist 4: Forest Children

Zelda's spirit seemed to float in the blackness that surrounded her. Where was she? Voices could be heard in the distance, but they were so muddled she couldn't make them out. A bright light flashed in Zelda's eyes, and she tried to shield herself from being blinded. When the light finally faded, she dropped her arm and opened her eyes. She found she was lying in her bed, dressed in her pajamas. The morning sun poked through her window, illuminating her room in a cheery glow.

_Was it all a dream?_ Zelda wondered, but that didn't seem right. She hopped out of her bed, and made her way to her mirror. Her red contacts weren't in her eyes, and her hair extensions were in their proper place. It all confused Zelda; if what happened was a dream- why did she remember the Chamber of Sages, but not her getaway as Sheik? In her mirror, she caught sight of her nightstand. On impulse she went over and opened it, and gingerly picked up the box inside. She opened it. Her breath caught when she saw that her mother's necklace was in fact in her possession. Its appearance was changed as well, and Rauru's diamond sat calmly in the middle of the Triforce. It caught the light of the sun, and the yellow shone brightly.

Zelda couldn't help but grin- it _was_ real! Rauru was real! That meant hope wasn't lost yet; for Zelda and the world. Zelda quickly got changed; she needed to find out where the Forrester siblings were, and where they held the diamond. She slowed, but where was she supposed to get that information? Castle Town was huge, and the way Rauru spoke he made it sound like the diamonds could have gone just about _anywhere_ in Hyrule. What if she had to travel to Kakariko Village? Or worse, Gerudo Valley? Zelda shook her head; there was no way she was going to the desert!

Zelda went into her kitchen and quickly grabbed a granola bar, and was out the door in a flash. If there was one person who could help her, it was the Queen of Red Lions. Zelda didn't bother hiding her identity, since she figured the Queen was going to call her out anyway. Zelda had something the Queen wanted, and knowing her- she was going to get it. Still, Zelda didn't know exactly where she was to go, she just ran in random directions. Maybe the Queen was in the most conspicuous place for her in Castle Town; she liked attention after all. Zelda sighed and glanced at her surroundings. She was on Main Street again, but why had she come here? The Queen definitely wouldn't be here- she was bold, yes, but she wasn't stupid. Link was out to get her, and stepping into his territory was certain doom.

Zelda sat at the edge of the fountain, the sound of the rushing water calming her nerves. She needed to think. The problem was Zelda didn't understand the Queen of Red Lions at all. She was the exact opposite of Sheik. She was sporadic, dramatic, and bold. While Sheik was calm, collected, and blended with the shadows. She sighed; maybe she was trying too hard. Maybe the minute she stopped trying to find the Queen, the Queen would show up. She sat for a few minutes collecting her thoughts, when she saw someone coming toward her. He was short and thin, and he wore colonial looking clothing-similar to the Prince's. He also wore a red mask, the same as the Queen of Red Lions'. He sauntered up to Zelda, a huge grin plastered on his face. He said nothing; he just handed her a crisp white letter, and then sauntered away.

Zelda stared in confusion after him. It seemed as though her life just kept getting weirder and weirder. She looked at the letter; there was nothing special about it. It was white, and on the front in fancy lettering was her name: _**Miss Harkinian**_. On the back, the letter was closed with a wax heart stamp. Somehow, it fit her. Zelda rolled her eyes and opened the letter, and read its contents.

_**Dear Miss Harkinian,**_

_**I am sorry to leave you so confused as to my location. I know you've probably been looking for me high and low. Are you that eager to keep your end of the bargain, or do you want something from me? Well, it is true that I have a very kind heart and am willing to help you in your pathetic state. Have you ever heard of the library? It's a wonderful placed filled to the brim with books that you can borrow for free. They have plenty of information available to all… like phone books with addresses as well. Now you're in my debt again, I wonder what I'll ask for this time? See you!**_

_**The Queen of Red Lions**_

Zelda shook her head, that woman! How did she know so much? Zelda stood and walked to a nearby trash can and threw the note out. Well at least she knew where to go now. The Castle Town Public Library. She glided down Main Street, and a few minutes later arrived at the library. It was a large, ornate building that looked almost like a mini castle. It was made of tan brick and had large circular windows near the small spires on the roof. A set of stairs led up to it, and Zelda quickly jogged up them.

Once inside, she was immediately hit with cool air from the air conditioning and the smell of books. The entryway was large and castle-like. Huge granite pillars extended down the hall and to the roof, with large stained glass windows on the walls adjacent. Dark grey and white checkered tile covered the floor until the middle, where it was replaced with plain white and then a red carpet. It reminded Zelda vaguely of the throne room, except the throne wasn't so white and pristine.

Zelda walked down the hall to the front desk- directly across from her and at the end. There sat a thin young woman with a round face and faded brown hair talking on the phone. She looked up at Zelda and held up her finger before returning to her call. The woman's eyes were pale gray, and she wore a purple dress. Light from the windows caught her blue crystal necklace, causing a shimmering effect on the floor beside her.

When she finally hung up the phone, she looked at Zelda blankly, "Yes?"

Zelda smiled, but the woman still showed no emotion, "Uhm, I'm looking for where you keep the phone books?"

Without blinking, she answered, "Go into the hall behind me, it's the first door to your right."

Zelda thanked her and walked behind the desk to the main hall where all the main/modern books were kept. It was circular, with doors leading to other reference sections lined along it. Zelda opened the plain wooden door and entered.

She had to turn on the light, but when she did she saw only a few racks holding thick volumes filling the space. They were the phone books from all across Hyrule. She even saw a few from the Great Sea Kingdom. They were Hyrule's allies, but at one time- when they seceded from Hyrule a few decades ago- they hated all it stood for.

She scanned the racks until she found the book for Castle Town. She had no idea if the Forrester siblings even lived there, but she had to start somewhere. Unfortunately, she couldn't find their names listed in the civilian section. She moved on to Kakariko Village, but again- no dice. It took Zelda over an hour before she finally picked the right book. The two siblings were listed in the same residence in the small province of Kokiri. Mostly the area was a wildlife reserve, but a select few had been given permission to build homes there- but they of course were nature enthusiasts themselves.

Zelda smiled and sighed, bringing the phone book out into the main hall, where desks were also situated. She sat down and grabbed a scrap paper and pencil and wrote down the Forrester's address. They apparently owned two small pieces of the reserve, a plot of land called the Forgotten Forest- where they lived- and another plot that was more heavily forested called the Lost Woods. She wondered briefly where the jewel was hidden, but quickly dismissed her train of thought. She wouldn't know until she investigated the place herself.

* * *

Cole was giddy- no, he was ecstatic. Zant would be so pleased with him, maybe he'd give Cole another victim to play with. He crossed his fingers as he practically skipped down the long hallway to Zant's throne room. The room was small, but fashioned after an authentic Twilit throne. It was made completely of blue shadow crystal, and the room glowed with ethereal shades of blue and grey.

Sitting on his throne was an unmasked Lord Zant; his head resting on his hands and a bored expression on his face as he watched a stripper try to please him. She wouldn't- there wasn't enough blood in her performance. As Cole entered, he immediately fell to one knee and bowed his head to his Lord. Lord Zant saw him and lazily tapped his foot three times. Cole stood again and made his way to his Lord. He pushed the stripper out of the way and she fell to the ground with a squeal, but Cole paid her no mind and neither did Lord Zant.

"Speak Child."

"Lord Zant, I come bearing news of Sheik."

Lord Zant stared at Cole, his muddy yellow eyes piercing with the beginnings of anger. He didn't answer; just waited for Cole to continue.

"It was on the front page of today's paper, your Lordship. Last night Sheik paid a visit to Vaati and made off with one of his necklaces."

Lord Zant held his hand out, and in it Cole placed the newspaper article (he had cut the article out and shoved it in his pocket.) Lord Zant quickly read it, and when he was done he crushed the article with an angry fist.

"That bitch…!" he hissed, his eyes narrowing into snakelike slits, "I never gave her permission to steal for herself!"

Cole began to hop up and down, "Oh your Lordship, please let me go teach that ungrateful toad a lesson! She'll never cross you again!"

Lord Zant became silent a moment, his brilliant mind thinking something over. His thin pale lips spread into a wide, insane smile.

"No, Child. I have a better idea…"

* * *

Zelda stood in the middle of the Forgotten Forest. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the earthy scent of the forest around her. So far, she hadn't seen anyone and she really was beginning to think the place had been abandoned. The land was fashioned like a campground, with tree stumps the size of houses hollowed out to form huts. They were sporadically placed all around the two acre long clearing and beautifully decorated with wildflowers and large clover patches. A small river snaked through the middle and created a tiny pond. The water was cool and clear, and if Zelda had extra time she would have definitely jumped in- but she was still looking for signs of Hylian life.

She sighed and sat down on a wooden bench by the stream. Now that she was there, what was she supposed to do? She had never staked out a place like this before; usually Zant got her blueprints so she wouldn't screw something up. Plus, what would she do if she met up with the Forresters like she planned to? What if she made friends with them? How the hell was she supposed to steal a priceless jewel from them then? Zelda sighed again and leaned back on the bench, stretching her back out until she was looking at the sky. But instead of the sky, she saw the face of a young girl.

"Holy Farore!" Zelda yelled as she jumped off the bench in surprise. The little girl stood behind the bench, laughing. She had forest green hair and beautiful emerald eyes. She was small and skinny, and wore a pretty long-sleeved green jumper. The hairs on the back of Zelda's neck stood on end, and she felt a flash of déjà vu run through her. Had she seen this girl before?

Nevertheless, the girl was still the first sign of life Zelda had seen since she arrived. She relaxed and smiled at the young girl. Bending on her knees slightly to be eye-level with her, Zelda said,

"Hi! My name's Zelda, what's yours?"

The girl didn't respond; just laughed again. It was high and tinny, like a bell, and the sounds didn't match the movement of her mouth, which struck Zelda as incredibly odd. Plus, the girl couldn't be more than eight years old, yet she was completely alone. Where were her parents?

Before she could ask, the little girl held her hand up and waved at Zelda- as if she wanted her to follow- and then turned and ran away.

"Hey wait!" Zelda called, and ran after her. They ran up a small hill and turned into a tunnel. They passed a sign that Zelda read as:

**LOST WOODS  
ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK**

Zelda gasped, and tried to catch up with the girl, but it seemed that every time she got close, the girl would speed up and get farther away again. The girl ran like a ghost, light and flowing, but it seemed as though her feet never hit the ground. They ran past trees and turned so many times, that soon Zelda lost track of where they were. She knew the tales of the Lost Woods, how any who enter run the risk of being lost forever. She had read the brochure for the place after all. Finally, Zelda couldn't run anymore and stopped chasing the girl to try to catch her breath, which came out in slow, haggard gasps. The little girl waited in front of her, a smile still on her face. Zelda looked up at her and frowned.

"You… Better… Not be… Toying with me." Zelda warned, but the little girl just shook her head. She gestured with her hands again, but Zelda wasn't ready to run yet. She held up her hand to stop the girl, but the girl just grabbed her hand and yanked her forward. The small girl's hand was light and feathery feeling, but she pulled Zelda along with the strength of ten Bulbins. They went under one of the many tree trunk passageways that encircled the clearing Zelda had stopped in. The strangeness of the forest that left so many people lost was that you could never see where these passageways would lead you. The sun shone so brightly, and constantly hit the trunks at such an angle that they were forever draped in blinding shadow. Yet the little girl walked with certainty towards the trunk directly before them, and the complacency on her face set Zelda's mind at ease. The little forest girl wouldn't let her die.

They came upon the other side of the passageway, and what they found was different than the entire forest. A large wrought iron gate stood before the two girls, with a rusty padlock connecting them and a large "KEEP OUT" sign posted directly above it. Compared to the other clearings in the forest, Zelda felt a sense of loneliness in that one. The little girl let go of Zelda's arm, and a frown marked her face. Whatever the little girl wanted to get to, it was on the other side of the gate.

Zelda smiled easily and knelt before the girl again,

"It's okay," she said, "I know how to pick locks; we'll get in in no time."

The little girl grinned, and Zelda went to work. It took her a little longer than usual to pick the lock because it was rusted and some components refused to move, but eventually it fell from the gate and Zelda could push it aside. After Zelda opened the gate, the little girl once again sped in front of her and up the stone stairs leading to another area in the forest. Zelda chuckled and took a step to follow her.

Immediately, a shock worked its way through Zelda's body and she fell to the ground, unable to move. The pain seared into her mind- all of her limbs felt as though they were on fire. Zelda yelled out, but her voice was quickly swallowed by a gasp. As her sight flickered in and out of consciousness, she saw the little girl ahead of her –halfway up the stairs-, looking worried and confused down at Zelda's limp body. Then, Zelda blacked out.

* * *

When Zelda finally awoke, she was in a bed three sizes too small for her, with a small woolen blanket draped across her middle. Her whole body was sore, and when she attempted to sit up, her head exploded in pain. Moaning softly, she lied back down and stared at the ceiling. The room she was in she recognized as one of the small wooden huts she had poked her head in earlier to see if anyone was around. It was only one room, with the bed pushed on the far wall next to an open window. It had a few dressers sorted around the room holding necessities, and a small fire pit in the middle. A fire was going, and a small pot hung over top, however, Zelda was alone in the room.

Yet Zelda had this burning sense in her head that there were people nearby. Sometimes she swore she even heard low, murmured voices. The curiosity was killing her- who was down there? What had happened? Why did that little girl betray her- if at all? The pain from the huge shock however, clogged Zelda's mind, and eventually she fell unconscious again.

* * *

The next time she woke up, it was night. Immediately, her thoughts flew to Tetra. She'd have been home a long time by now and she'd be worried. She might even call the police. Zelda blanched even more when she realized that calling the police meant calling Link. Shit.

Zelda sat up quickly, trying to ignore her massive headache, and realized she wasn't alone in the room anymore. Of course, she had assumed she had been. Another little girl- the same size as the one from before- sat in front of the fire, spooning some of what looked like soup into a bowl. She froze at Zelda's fast movements, and for a moment looked terrified. The two stared at each other, surprised.

The little girl was also wearing a green jumper, but hers was lighter and looser. She was blonde with two loose buns on either of her head and her fringe was held back with a green head band. She had blue eyes and a fair complexion. She looked about 11 or 12, but Zelda couldn't really tell in the firelight. The little girl broke the silence first with an apologetic smile.

"How are you feeling," she asked with a small, sweet voice, "I was really surprised to see you unconscious in the middle of my and my brother's forest."

Zelda's eyes widened, "You're Fado Forrester?"

Fado nodded, "yes. And you are?"

"Zelda… Zelda Harkinian. What happened to me?"

Fado smiled sweetly and continued once again to spoon out the soup. She got up and walked over to Zelda and handed her the bowl.

"Eat up, you've been out cold for 8 hours, you have to be hungry."

Zelda nodded and took a spoonful of the soup. It was nutty, and sweet like yams. It was delicious. Fado sat on a small stump chair by the bed and continued talking,

"My brother- Mido- is a little overprotective of that area of the woods. No one is allowed to enter, and he even set up electrical barriers. I'm supposed to check every day to make sure no one was caught. I'm sorry; truly, I told him that it was going too far."

Zelda smiled- she had no right to _not_ forgive Fado- since she was going to steal one of her belongings soon, "its okay. Although it seems to have worked well."

Fado chuckled, "yes, I suppose so…"

Zelda kept eating until she finished the soup. Fado took the bowl from her and refilled it. Zelda downed that bowl in a matter of minutes too. After four bowls, Zelda finally had to stop eating. Fado just laughed and sat back down. She was waiting for something, Zelda could tell.

"What is it Fado…?"

With a strained smile, she said, "Aren't you going to ask?"

"Ask what?"

"Why I'm so tiny and young looking, but I own land and am a legal adult."

Zelda's didn't reply. Right, Fado had to be at least eighteen to own land, yet Zelda had assumed she was twelve. She blushed and looked away from Fado, ashamed.

"It's a genetic trait in our family. It's similar to Dwarfism, but unlike dwarfs, Kokiri keep the body of a child, though their brains continue to grow."

Zelda looked at Fado again, her curiosity piqued, "Kokiri? You mean that isn't just the name of the forest?"

She smiled, honestly this time, "No, the forest is named after the ancient inhabitants who lived here from the Age of the Hero of Time to the Age of the Hero of Twilight. From there, we've lived sporadically, barely hanging on to escape extinction."

"Extinction!"

"Yes, Hyrule is industrializing, so it's harder to keep the forests going. The Kokiri have a special connection to the forest, my ancestors used to even have a physical link in the form of a fairy. However, with the passage of time, the link has weakened, and the fairies have disappeared altogether. In a few hundred years, our race will be gone."

Zelda frowned, "isn't the Hylian Family doing anything to prevent this?"

Fado chuckled, "they've tried, but what exactly can they do? Stop the growth of civilization? The only way to do that is to take drastic measures, ones that I don't think are worth taking. Besides, the forest has principles- ones that include valuing every life, no matter how small. If our guardian deity or our protectress were to find that we forsook those values, we wouldn't be Kokiri anymore. We'd be normal Hylians for a few hours, and then we'd die."

Zelda gulped, "Who are they?"

"Our Deities? The first is the Great Deku Tree. He is the life force of our forest. If he dies, so does the forest- and for good. It almost happened once- in the Age of the Hero of Time, but the Hero was able to save the forest in time- it was his first home after all. The second is the Sage of Forest. She too called the forest her first home before she moved to the Sacred Realm to protect it from malignant forces."

At the mention of the Sage of Forest, Zelda's jaw dropped. She's the one who she needed to free! Maybe Fado could tell her more, and maybe she'd even show her the jewel…

"The Sage of Forest? Didn't she know the Hero of Time?"

It was basic folklore that had been drilled into Zelda by her father, something that every Hylian knew. The Hero of Time hailed from a secluded forest and had awakened his childhood friend as one of the many sages in his quest. Zelda never knew that the two hailed from Kokiri Forest or that she was the Sage of Forest though, she had just guessed. Yet she assumed she guessed right since Fado broke into a huge smile,

"Yes, you are correct! The Hero didn't have many friends in the forest; he didn't really fit in that well since he wasn't actually Kokiri, but the Sage of Forest- Saria was her name- was different too. She loved everyone, and was the epitome of kindness. She really took a liking to the Hero, though, I guessed she pitied him at first or something, I don't know. When he left, she gave him her prized possession- her ocarina. Nowadays, you can't even find an ocarina in an antique store."

"You really admire the Sage of Forest don't you?"

"Every Kokiri does. She dropped everything to protect this forest, her friends, and Hyrule- a place she never really knew or saw, might I add. To me, she's even stronger than the Hero of Time."

The two fell into silence as Zelda absorbed Fado's admiration. Would she ever be admired for her life like that? Would anyone besides Tetra even care when she died? Or would she only ever be remembered as Sheik, the mysterious and hateful thief. Zelda hated Sheik, hated everything about him. If the chance ever presented itself, like it was starting to, Zelda would sever herself from him in an instant. She sighed and allowed her mind to drift back to the more pleasant thought of the Sage of Forest.

_Saria…_

Another flash of deja vu went through Zelda, but she ignored it since Fado was giving her a pointed look.

"What?" She asked.

"Aren't you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"Why you were in the forest in the first place? I mean, it is private property after all."

"uhh… you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

Zelda looked at Fado again. In the firelight, the young girl's eyes lit up with a calm and mature look. Even though she was half Zelda's size, Zelda felt as though she was the diminutive one, like Fado could squish her in between her index finger and thumb if she wanted to. Such a strong presence!

"W-well. I came her originally to find you and Mr. Mido, but no one was here. Or so I thought, since I ran into this little girl. She led me into the Lost Woods. I think she wanted to show me something."

A puzzled look spread across Fado's face, and she stood and began pacing around the small room. She asked Zelda what the little girl looked like, and Zelda quickly described her. Fado paced faster, her brow furrowed in earnest in contemplation. Finally after a few minutes, she slowed in front of the bed.

"Are you sure?"

Zelda cocked a brow, "of course I am. She grabbed my hand. Who is she?"

Fado forced a smile, "…My little sister… She was visiting and likes to run off on her own."

"Why don't I believe you?"

Fado didn't answer, thinking again. There was a thunking noise as someone climbed the ladder that led to the hut. A boy a little taller than Fado entered. He had her same complexion and eye color, so Zelda assumed he was Mido. He wore green overalls and a green cap. He was frowning and when he saw Zelda he sent a glare so piercing that her breath hitched a bit.

"Is this her, Fay?" he asked. Fado only nodded- a distant look still in her eyes.

Mido stomped over to Zelda and grabbed her collar, "What the hell do you think you were doing in our forest? It ain't a playground wench!"

Zelda knocked Mido's hand away, her own anger becoming inflamed, "Watch it! I was looking for you two, and I wouldn't have gone in anyway if it hadn't been for your 'little sister' who almost got me killed!"

"What are you talking about," he yelled, "Fado and I don't have a sister!"

"Well according to Fado, you do!"

Fado hurriedly grabbed Mido and pulled him away from Zelda, whispering urgently into his ear. Zelda tried to glare in his direction, but she saw his anger drain away to a look of hope.

He said to Fado excitedly, "are you sure?"

Fado nodded and gestured to Zelda, "she has to be. I'm only confused as to why now and to her."

"What?" asked Zelda looking between the siblings. Mido sat on the stump and smiled at Zelda.

"What did she say to you? The girl that led you to the forest?"

Zelda shrugged, "uh nothing. She just laughed- really weirdly too I might add."

Mido gave a nostalgic smile, "was she happy?"

Zelda was taken aback at the question, "I don't know. Like I said, she didn't speak a word to me."

Mido nodded, "yes, but did she seem happy?"

Again she shrugged, "I guess so; she kept laughing except when we came across that gate. What is behind that anyway?"

"Her home," said Fado, "but she hasn't been there for years."

"Who was she," Zelda asked, "she seems pretty important to you two."

Mido smiled again, but sadly this time. He pulled out of his pocket a tiny gem- an emerald. It glittered in the firelight and Zelda almost passed out again. A strong pull in her gut told her that that gem was what she was looking for.

"This," Mido said holding the emerald up, "is her last gift to us. Her name is Saria, and years ago she disappeared to fulfill her duty. She left this under me and my sister's protection. She couldn't stress the importance of this job enough. I just never understood why she had to leave though."

Zelda's eyes widened and she glanced at Fado. That little girl was actually Saria? Then why had Fado tried to convince her otherwise? Something didn't feel right. Saria had led Zelda into the Lost Woods, but Mido was the one who had her jewel. Was she trying to show her something else?

"What's behind the gate?" Zelda asked again. Fado looked at her strangely, but Mido answered her.

"We told you- Saria's home."

Zelda shook her head, "No, that's not it. You said it was too dangerous there, why would she live there then? You two weren't back there recently, the padlock was rusted on the inside- that means disuse, yet you found me there."

Mido frowned, "why do you want to know? You're a trespasser on our lands and you broke into restricted grounds; you've got a lot of nerve."

Zelda held up her hands in defense, "Hey, I'm allowed to be curious, and when things don't add up I usually try to make them."

Mido put the jewel back in his pocket and the tugging feeling in Zelda's gut subsided. He stood; another frown on his face.

"We can't tell you," he said, "because you're not trustworthy. We don't know you, so you can't expect to get all the answers. I don't know why Saria appeared before you, she hasn't been seen here in decades, but she did. I can only ask that you forget about it now, and leave. As the owner of this land, I command you to."

Zelda sighed and got out of the cramped bed. She looked at Fado imploringly; she had to know something about her hero that Mido wasn't telling Zelda. Fado averted her gaze however, and Zelda left the hut and climbed down the wooden ladder to the ground. This wouldn't do, Zelda needed to know what was behind that gate, and she needed to know if the jewel Mido showed her was the real thing. Yet as she walked out of the forest with all these questions clouding her mind, she noticed that the forest gave off an eerie sense of loneliness, and that Zelda had done the one thing she was afraid of. She had gotten to know her victims, and soon she was going to rob them of their most prized possession.

* * *

Link was pissed.

He hadn't slept after Sheik's heist the previous night, he kept reliving the moment where Sheik bested him. His pride was dashed, and already he could hear the ghosts of disapproval behind him- challenging his authority and his crime-solving ability. What had gone wrong? His plan was perfect, his officers well trained, his fighting ability unmatched. And yet, Sheik got away with Miss Zelda Harkinian's necklace.

That was another thing; she had been so upset, so passionate about getting that necklace back. Now Link had to tell her he failed. He really didn't want to do that.

Link growled and slammed his fist on his desk. There was a shuffling sound outside his door and in came Shad. He looked confused.

"What's wrong your highness?"

Link glared at him, "Did I call for you?"

Shad's eyes widened, "no, but it looks like you need me anyway."

Link growled again and chucked an eraser at Shad. Ducking quickly, the brunette smirked at Link.

"Please, sir, you'll have to do better than that."

That did it. Link began chucking every liftable item off his desk. He threw scissors, pencils, books, papers, etc. and yet Shad dodged them easily. Breathing heavily, he smiled at Link.

"There, you've taken every item off your desk and gotten your anger out. Now don't you feel better."

Link, also breathing heavily, grumbled again. Stupid Shad. Now he felt even worse, because he had just threw dangerous items at his best friend.

"You suck."

Shad rolled his eyes and walked out of Link's office and into the rest of the precinct. Link groaned and buried his face in his hands. Okay, so he felt a little better. But not a whole lot, because now he had to clean up the mess he made. Link got out of his chair and bent down to pick up his things, when his newest secretary **Navi** walked in. She looked worried, her blue lips were pursed and her blonde eyebrows were furrowed. Her pale blue skin glowed slightly in the awkward lighting of the precinct.

"Your Highness, I apologize, but we were unable to find Lord Vaati anywhere in the Hyrule City area. I'm afraid we'll have to send out a nation-wide bolo."

"You're afraid?"

Navi nodded slightly, "yes, sir. This is showing some of our cards… and Lord Vaati I'm afraid isn't worth it."

Link thought a moment. At the moment, Vaati wasn't needed in the investigation- at least not pressingly. The man was a politician, he'd be back on his own time.

"Alright, hold the bolo and just send a covert team of officers to his summer home. We'll see what we can pull up there."

Navi bowed and left the room quickly. In truth, Vaati's case slightly bothered him. A man like Lord Vaati didn't go into hiding, especially not over something as tiny as a stolen necklace. Running like he did just makes even worse criminals like Sheik look innocent. He was missing something, but what?

"Tatl."

A bleach blonde officer- his partner- poked her head in, "yes?"

"Get ahold of the elusive Miss Harkinian will you? I need to speak with her and she was supposed to come in anyways."

Tatl's eyebrows shot up, "um, about that."

Link furrowed his brows and glared at Tatl, "what."

"We just got a call from a Miss Tetra Harkinian. She just got back from school and her house is on fire and her sister is nowhere to be found. She confirmed her sister's name to be a Zelda Harkinian."

Link's heart went to his throat. What the hell was going on here?

Zelda knew something was wrong the minute the taxi stopped two streets away from her house.

* * *

"Sorry Miss," he said gruffly, "this is the farthest I can go. Seems to be a fire nearby."

Zelda could only thank him and pay. She jogged lightly from the taxi to her street, where most of the traffic seemed to be coming from. She gasped in shock.

Her house was in flames.

The bright orange tendrils curled malevolently around the wood frame of her home, sparing not a single inch of wood from its heated touch. Zelda's hand went instinctively to her mouth and she dropped to her knees. Who could do something like this? Yet the minute the question crossed her mind, she knew the answer. Zant. It was always Zant.

An uncomfortable feeling rooted itself in her gut. It was a mixture of dark heat and pure hatred and it twisted her insides around like spring. The feeling felt black, but at the same time, Zelda knew it was justified. First her necklace, now her home… Zelda was in a rage- no -a blind fury. It was time to pay Zant a visit. He was most likely expecting her, but Zelda stood anyway and jogged away from her burning house, where firefighters were now gathered, helplessly trying to fight the flame. It was useless, everything was useless.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, and i hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know it took me awhile to write,**

**and I expect that I'll only be posting monthly due to school, but I hope**

**you enjoyed in nonetheless.**

**Now to the quiz questions!**

**Last heist's winners are:**

**KaijuKnight and LEva114! Congrats!**

**This heist's question:**

**What is behind that gate?**

**Thanks again, and happy reading!**


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